Happy New Year

A big "Haaaaappy new year!" to everyone. We just got home this evening from Alabama which turned out to be an incredible trip. We were so blessed to be with Karen Wheaton and her crew as well as Dutch Sheets, Jason Upton, Eddie James and Rick Pino. The Ramp was the perfect way to end the year. I feel that something very significant has happened–probably more significant than any of us realize. It feels like a seed has dropped to the ground and is dying.

Now that's not a bad thing at all. It's just that the "dying" part isn't that much fun. Please pray for me as I plan to begin the most intense fast of my life on Tuesday. I don't share that publicly to say "hey look at me." I am simply asking for major prayer support from friends and family as I participate in a corporate fast among our group. 'Nuff said.

Again, happy new year.

Some Assembly Required

This was a record year for Christmas presents that require Dad to sit with a Phillips head screwdriver, Allen wrenchs, hammer, acetylene torch, 1 1/2 ton floor jack and... OK OK. Maybe I didn't use all of those, but I'm just saying.

We clean the Christmas mess up today and pack our bags. Yep, it's time for another road trip. We'll be travelling to Hamilton, AL for the winter Ramp conference with Karen Wheaton Ministries. Lou is speaking this year again in addition to Dutch Sheets, Damon Thompson and others. This will be Lou's first opportunity to launch the vision for The Call in 2007 when we'll be gathering a solemn assembly in the Titan's stadium. We're believing for 100,000 people to gather there 07/07/07.

We're not particularly excited about another long road trip with the kids. South Dakota really burned them out on car rides. But this will be an incredible gathering with Karen and her group. It was from a Ramp gathering that this clip was taken which many of you have seen from a previous post.

Cannonball!

No, we're not shipping the children away to a distant land. This just proves that a giant box of polystyrene peanuts is infinitely funner than the contents.

Thanks Nana.

Happy Birthday

So, open your mouth, lad!

Could this be a picture of The Call?
Theodor Seuss Geisel, Horton Hears A Who

A Star Is Born

So Randy Bohlender calls me a couple of days ago. There was an urgency in his voice that got my attention. "Did you see what's going on with Senator Tim Johnson? And did you read Adam McArthur's blog today?"

Well I'm sure everyone is aware of what's going on with the Senator, but did you realize that my friend Adam McArthur is worthy of equal national exposure? The numbers don't lie folks. This blog entry is now the 6th most-read piece in WordPress history. And the number is still growing.

Choice or Homicide?

FoxNews.com
This is a tragic story about a tragic situation. But I must ask a question. Exactly how did the baby change from "not a life" to a "life" in just a few brief moments?

Senator Tim Johnson- SD

I'm sure everyone is watching the news on this one.
FoxNews.com

I was out Christmas shopping and all of a sudden started getting a bazillion phone calls and text messages from all over the country. Let's pray for Senator Johnson's health and well being.

Extremist Behavior

Maybe just a little excerpt today from the book I'm reading.

"I felt that the white ministers, priests and rabbis of the South would be among our strongest allies. Instead, some have been outright opponents, refusing to understand the freedom movement and misrepresenting its leaders; all too many others have been more cautious than courageous and have remained silent behind the anesthetizing security of stained-glass windows." -MLK, Letter from Birmingham Jail

"Untimely" and "extremist" were words used to describe the actions of those seeking justice. King wondered how any aspect of the movement could be labeled untimely when an entire people group had patiently waited 100 years for the fulness of the Emancipation Proclamation. Desperate times called for desperate measures. "So the question is not whether we will be extremists, but what kind of extremists we will be." He went on to say, "Perhaps the South, the nation and the world are in dire need of creative extremists."

Perhaps we live in similar days again when words like "untimely" and "extremist" are used to describe those who seek change regarding injustice toward the unborn. The words "creative extremist" jump out at me here. Who are the ones who will tap into the creative genius of God? Who are the ones who will lay their head on the chest of the Justice Lover? Who will gain access to the strategies that solve problems without creating new ones? Who will call for and demonstrate the holy tension necessary to confront the culture of death? Who will understand the times and seasons we live in and know what is demanded of them?

Jesus, thank you for being an untimely extremist.

Kryptonite

Strength... fa-ding.
Blog... su-ffer-ing.

Here We Go

Exploratory committee officially launched. Click the image to download today's press release.

Small News to You. Big News to Us.

Life's starting to get a little more settled here in South Carolina. We've added a refrigerator and internet access today. Still no furniture though. Nothing like ice cubes and ebay to make you feel all safe and secure here in the Western world.

I'm a little unnerved by the fact that today is December 1st. It has been a busy year to say the least. DC to Boston to South Dakota to South Carolina. All this year.

(Geek alert! Read no further if you flunked the test on General and Special Relativity.)
So Einstein figured that, relatively speaking, time moves slower as you approach the speed of light. What that means is that a person moving really fast would appear to the outside observer to age more slowly than himself. A quick jaunt to Alpha Centauri and back would result in an astronaut much younger than all his peers that twiddled their thumbs while he was gone. If this is true, then all my armchair quarterback buddies watching Monday Night Football should be like 50 years old by now. How come I'm the one sprouting grey hairs?

Tis The Wrong Season

Nothing like 73˚ and shorts & t-shirt to put you in the mood while hanging Christmas lights on the front bushes. If I dream of a white Christmas this year, that's probably the only place I'll see it.

No. I don't live at Starbucks

I just haven't had any internet access for like a week. We've finally moved into our new place in South Carolina. Actually, that sounds a little misleading. Let's just say that we've moved a lot of boxes into our new place in South Carolina. Now begins the long arduous task of opening boxes and uttering phrases like, "Why did I ever buy this let alone keep it?"

All I can do is plead with you to pray for us. I long for the house to reach "home" status really soon. Like yesterday soon.

In other news, Sam watched the neighbor across the street hang Christmas lights yesterday. When they lit the place up last night Sam asked, "Can we get Christmas on our house dad?" I'm not sure what my response was at the time, but I'm fairly certain that is was less than festive.

More Than You Needed To Know

Raining. A lot.
Tall non fat no whip mocha today.
Starbucks' CD of the month overhead somewhere.
Overpriced wifi access.
Reading: Why We Can't Wait by Martin Luther King Jr.

An ironic sense of sticking it to the man wells up within me as I burn my tastebuds on his tasty nectar of life.

A Quick Note To My South Dakotans

My team and I are packing boxes this week and will be leaving on Monday. It has been an extreme pleasure to live in South Dakota for the last three and half months. What a joy it has been to watch the passing of the seasons on the Wall alongside my friends. From shorts & sandals to scarves & sweaters. We did not see Tuesday's popular vote go as we had hoped, but the cause goes on. Rest assured that God is on the move in America, and He does not sleep.

All I can think about is William Wilberforce, the great abolitionist. Commissioned by God, he spend year after year after disappointing year fighting for what was right. It was a life spent well. And then things changed... suddenly. I'm counting my own costs right now and long for a life spent well. Oh to be a thorn in the flesh of injustice day after day and never leave.

And then... suddenly

Relevant Interview

Go to your local bookstore and pick up the Nov/Dec issue of Relevant Magazine. They interviewed me in September, and there’s a 4-page feature article this month titled “A Cause Worth Fighting For.” They did an awesome job with the feature, and handled the topic really well.

Wrecking Ball

Ezekiel 3:7-9
But the house of Israel is not willing to listen to you because they are not willing to listen to me, for the whole house of Israel is hardened and obstinate. But I will make you as unyielding and hardened as they are. I will make your forehead like the hardest stone, harder than flint. Do not be afraid of them or terrified by them, though they are a rebellious house.

We have some very specific things we're going after in the house of prayer here in South Dakota. “My prayer is that God would make our HOP as unyielding and hardened as the spiritual opposition and this rebellious nation. God, give us foreheads like flint as we pound away in prayer. Make us the battering ram to the schemes of the enemy. Give us the endurance and tenacity that is needed here at the end of all things.”

Honey, where are my dress socks?

The last three days have been an amazing gift from Heaven. I can't go into a lot of details from now to the election though. I've recently discovered that the pro-choice opposition is watching my personal blog, and we don't want to release any key strategic information leading up to November 7th. Suffice it to say that I believe God has reserved secret strategy for the last minute of this season. My team and I here in South Dakota are calling an Esther fast beginning at midnight tonight. We believe this is what God has called us to do to pave the way for the hidden strategy in the last leg of the campaign. All I can say is that I believe I was in the middle of three things on Wednesday, Thursday and today that will be critical for the future of America. Now doesn't that sound all dramatic and whatnot?

I will say though that yesterday was absolutely incredible. Senator Sam Brownback from Kansas was in state, and Focus on the Family asked me to serve as his personal escort around the city of Sioux Falls and Pierre. What an honor to spend the day with him making appearances at various rallies and ceremonies. I was struck by the thought that I was driving the future president of the United States around in my Ford Expedition. Then, I got to join him on his private plane to fly to the capitol city for a Focus on the Family rally. What an unbelievable opportunity. We sat face to face on the plane for about an hour and twenty minutes and discussed all that was on his heart and mine. I am so humbled by God's goodness.

Here's a funny anecdote. Kim woke up Wednesday morning from a weird dream. In her dream, my friend from Focus on the Family called me. He said he needed me to get on the plane with Sam Brownback. We laughed about it and then went about our day. I think God was laughing at me at 2 PM when I was scrambling to get my suit together and couldn't find my dress socks to pack for the trip. The dream had literally come to pass mere hours later when my friend called to say he couldn't make it back to Sioux Falls to advance the Senator. God must have been thinking, "Dude, I gave you like seven hours to find those socks!"

Job 33:14-16 (NKJV)
For God may speak in one way, or in another,
Yet man does not perceive it.

In a dream, in a vision of the night,
When deep sleep falls upon men,
While slumbering on their beds,

Then He opens the ears of men,
And seals their instruction.

Deliverer of Deliverers

Exodus 1:15-20
15 The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, whose names were Shiphrah and Puah, 16 "When you help the Hebrew women in childbirth and observe them on the delivery stool, if it is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, let her live." 17 The midwives, however, feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do; they let the boys live. 18 Then the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and asked them, "Why have you done this? Why have you let the boys live?"

19 The midwives answered Pharaoh, "Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women; they are vigorous and give birth before the midwives arrive." 20 So God was kind to the midwives and the people increased and became even more numerous.

Before there was ever a Moses, there were the midwives. They became the stewards to an entire generation. Their choice and stand to not kill their own people allowed for the emergence of the great deliverer Moses. This was a key passage of scripture that was focused on last night at a prayer gathering in Yankton, SD. We prayed for the midwives to come- not literal ones but spiritual ones. There were many local college students there, and several of them came forward to pray for their generation. Like the midwives, they've been told it's OK to kill their own people- their own generation. We prayed for a great shifting on the universities so that this young generation would fear God. Let the deliverers come forth.

First Nation's People

Please pray for a key gathering that we're putting together for next week involving intercessory leaders and the First Nation's people. It's top secret and won't be publicized, but it will be very strategic between the Native Americans and us. Pray for open doors, open schedules and provisions for everyone involved.

Rally-Ho!

I've been traveling for the last three days with the South Dakota Family Policy Council. They're sponsoring rallys in multiple cities across the state with some phenomenal guest speakers. Dr. Lawrence White, Dr. Rick Scarborough and Dr. Alan Keyes have done an amazing job at uniting a broad spectrum of the body of Christ. White is a Lutheran. Scarborough is a Southern Baptist. And Keyes is a Catholic. 750 Rapid City residents attended the Monday gathering, and another 600 joined us last night in Aberdeen. We had an intimate last-minute gathering with local pastors this afternoon in Watertown, and we're expecting a huge crowd in Sioux Falls tonight.

I unexpectedly got to sit in the car with Dr. Keyes for about two hours yesterday as we traveled across state. We talked non-stop about everything from the Supreme Court to border security. My brain was numb for a while after the trip. Mid-state I enjoyed a Subway sub with Dr. Scarborough. He was familiar with our ministry and what we've been doing in front of the Supreme Court for over two years now. Today I got to have lunch with Dr. White. He is a man of profound conviction and cares deeply for the future of America. I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to spend time with these men.

Fisher's 6th Birthday

Fisher turned six yesterday, and we celebrated with him at his favorite establishment- Chuck E Cheese. He has officially been given the title of "The Good King" by one of the staff, and the name has kinda stuck. The crown wasn't just a novelty of the day. He's been wearing one often. The battery on our camera died, but we managed to capture a little bit with a few tokens and the Chuck E Cheese instant photomat.

Priceless

There were some pro-choice activists out this weekend along the busiest street in town here in Sioux Falls. The small group was holding signs that said “Vote No on 6.” Now, I don't know if the group was unaware or just a little dense, but a better scene couldn't have been staged if you tried. Right beside them were a couple of people dressed up to advertise the Halloween costume store. So thousands of drivers saw pro-abortion activists standing next to two court jesters with grim reaper masks.

Priceless. Thanks for the free advertising!

God is not Republican or Democrat

“The church must take right ground in regards to politics... The time has come for Christians to vote for honest men, and take consistent ground in politics or the Lord will curse them... God cannot sustain this free and blessed country, which we love and pray for, unless the church will take right ground. Politics are a part of a religion in such a country as this, and Christians must do their duty to their country as a part of their duty to God... God will bless or curse this nation according to the course Christians take in politics.”

-Charles G. Finney

Curve Ball

In a great article in the LA Times yesterday, Planned Parenthood said their campaign in South Dakota has been “thrown off balance.” In response to the pro-life campaign VoteYesForLife.com, they gave this quote:

"Historically, this debate has been focused on fetal rights, fetal life. We have a lot of language about that," said Sarah Stoesz, president and chief executive of Planned Parenthood of Minnesota and North and South Dakota. "This adds an element we're not accustomed to. It's a different line of debate…. And that is something we struggle with politically."

This Just In

Allan Parker with the Justice Foundation just called. Sandra Cano's case has been denied by the Supreme Court.

You can read about it here.

Luke 18:1-8 The Parable of the Persistent Widow
Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: "In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, 'Grant me justice against my adversary.'

"For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, 'Even though I don't fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming!' "

And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?"

The Face of LIFE

Randy and Kelsey Bohlender received their little bundle of joy yesterday. Savannah Zoe was born a few days ago and was 5lbs 13oz. They travelled all the way from Kansas City to Las Vegas to adopt her. These guys put their money where their pro-life mouth is. The Bohlenders are missionaries at IHOP and would appreciate any financial help that comes along to support this adoption. Hit Randy's blog here and click the PayPal button.

Just think. This beautiful little girl could have been aborted. Who knows what events transpired in her mother's life, but thank God she chose LIFE. Now little Savannah Zoe has a hope and a future.

Showdown at the Not-So-OK Corral

Bound4LIFE folks are standing in silent prayer in front of the Supreme Court 24 hours a day this week. Monday was the opening day of the Court and tomorrow (10/6) the Justices will review a case that could shift history. Most are familiar with the 1973 case Roe v Wade, but few know about it's companion case, Doe v Bolton, that sealed it. Norma McCorvey, aka Roe, is now a Christian and has saught to have her case overturned. In February of 2005, the Court refused to hear her case and responded with "no comment." Now Sandra Cano, aka Roe, has also become a Christian and is seeking to have her case overturned as well. It is her case that the Court will review on Friday. We received a dream two years ago in which Sandra Cano came out of the Supreme Court to our team standing in front. She asked them, "Will you stand with me when my case goes to court?" Well here we are- 24 hours a day.

Yesterday, as the team was standing with LIFE tape in front of the Court, five of the Judges walked out onto the steps to pose for some photos. What an incredible moment- Judges standing on the steps of the Court facing out and approximately 70 Bound4LIFE activists lined up facing them in total silence. One of my friends there said the Judges were pointing at them and talking to each other. We pray that the message of LIFE has been shouted to them, and they will judge rightly tomorrow. They will announce on Monday, Oct 9th, if they have agreed to hear the case.

It is vital that this case be considered now. Roe v Wade is bad law. 33 years ago we had no scientific evidence of when life begins, and so the law was made based on that lack of knowledge. Now we know differently, and there is a vast amount of evidence that contradicts that point of view. 33 years ago we had no idea what the long-term psychological effects would be for post-abortive women. Now we know differently, and there is a vast amount of evidence that documents its destructive aftermath. This is the basis for Sandra's case. It carries the weight of thousands of affidavits from post-abortive women that all declare "Abortion Hurts Women."

Apple Pickin'

I gave the team a sabbath today. We've been running pretty non-stop. It was a balmy 90 degrees today as the family took a trip to the apple orchard. We had a nice tractor ride and picked some tasty apples. The heat kind of surprised everyone though. It has been cool and in the low 70's recently. We all had to dig our shorts back out for today.

We're mobilizing 24/7 prayer state-wide from now until the elections. Prayer groups have exploded all over the place. We nearly have the 24-hour schedule filled, and the nightwatch (midnight to 6 AM) was the first to fill up.

Wakan yeja. That's Sioux for "Children are sacred." It's pronounced "wa-han'-ja" (gargle the h in the back of your throat).

O God, Where is Your Contender?

Just got off the phone with Ian Kelly. He's at the Wall in front of the Supreme Court in DC right now. Today is the opening day of the Court which is typically a media circus. All the special interest pro-choice groups show up to protest on that day. They all come and go when the cameras are there only interested in the photo op. A picture of them standing there with their signs in front of the Court somehow makes them look fully-committed to their cause I guess. But something's different today. What could it possibly be? I wonder... oh yes! They're not here. There's virtually no representation of the pro-choice movement there today.

Now why is that? Let me offer a suggestion. I believe God is stripping this stongman of his armor and he is being plundered through prayer. See, they come and go, but we never leave. For two years we haven't left. Could I even say that we own that sidewalk? I don't know about that, but I do know that we're doing something that has never been done before in the history of America. We have stood in intercession in front of that Court nonstop day after day, month after month, year after year. We're not going anywhere until this thing is done. I see fear in the ranks of the pro-choice stronghold- fear in DC and fear in South Dakota. Their footing is slipping and their nakedness will be exposed. We know that behind closed doors they are acknowledging that the Supreme Court is lost. Roe v Wade is gasping for her final breaths. They're scrambling to shift their attention to the states which is where the next battles will be fought. But the states are already shifting. Louisiana already has a law in place to ban abortion when the Supreme Court overturns RvW. And South Dakota will vote to uphold their abortion ban on November 7th. 11 to 13 other states are waiting in the wings to see what SD does with this law. When passed, they will move to enact similar laws. I believe that, in a moment, calamity could fall on the spirit of death behind abortion. In a single day, the history of the world could change.

Where is your contender, o God? Where is your opposition? Glorify your King that you've installed on Mount Zion!

A Mountain in Madison

We had an awesome meeting last night in Madison, SD. Vital Link, a city-wide pastoral organization, called a special meeting last night for the LIFE issue. Bound4LIFE was invited to minister. It was so exciting to meet with such an eclectic group of believers. There were pastors and people from the Baptist, Wesleyan, Catholic, Assemblies of God churches and others. I spoke and the team lead a prayer rumble at the end of the evening. I think it was a significant meeting for everyone there. Beth had a dream two days before where she saw a satelite view of the southeastern corner of South Dakota. She was above the Sioux Falls area with a Who (the Whos of Whoville characters from the Dr. Suess book Horton Hears a Who). They turned to the north, west and south as the Who shouted in its small voice, "South Dakota!" As those words were shouted in each of the directions, four mountains rose up from the landscape and towered over the state- two to the north, one to the west and one to the south. Beth isn't familiar with SD geography and had no idea of what the locations might be. I asked her if she could point on a map and show me where they were. I quickly scribbled with a highlighter without looking at each place she pointed. One of the spots was right on the town of Madison! She didn't even know that we were scheduled to minister there this weekend. Could it be that God is wanting to elevate the praying Church of Madison for the ending of abortion? The western mountain was on the city of Mitchell which is where were scheduled to minister this coming Sunday. The hosting church is wanting to organize a city-wide gathering there also.

Karl Marx Bakes A Lovely Greenbean Casserole

Hmmm. There just seems to be something familiar here. What could it be? Oh yes, it's communism.

Vote For This Man

I've had the privilege of meeting and praying with Mr. Whalen a few times during my stay here in South Dakota. I feel honored to know him. Go to his website for more info about him and his campaign. He's running for Congress.

Christian – Native American – Pro-Life
C'mon!

Four Days Left

We're in the last four days of the 21-days. The first three days here in Rapid City have been great. The spiritual warfare here is different than in the rest of the state. "The nature of the storm has changed," as I was told shortly after we arrived. I like Rapid City. It reminds me a lot of the foothills in Colorado–a little taste of home. The team have lost no momentum. I'm extremely proud of them. They're pouring their souls into this effort and giving it everything they have.

In other news, we've learned that Sandra Cano's case consideration has been extended to October 6th. Sandra is the "Mary Doe" of Doe v. Bolton, the companion case of Roe v. Wade that sealed legalized abortion in 1973. Like Norma McCorvey of RvW, Sandra is now a Christian and is seeking to have her case overturned. The premise for the case is that we know more now than we did in 1973 about he effects of abortion. The truth is that "abortion hurts women." Please read details of the case and watch Sandra's testimony before the Judiciary Sub-Committee on the Constitution here. Our friend Allan Parker of the Justice Foundation is representing Sandra and is encouraged by the extention. The case landed on the desk of the Supreme Court on July 31st and has to be reviewed by the Justices to determine if they will hear the case in the next session. Previously, they were set to review it on September 25th which turned out to be the last day of our 21-day fasting and prayer journey (not planned!) But now they extended it to review the material on 9/25 AND 10/6. Allan thinks this is a good sign. He told me that part of their case arguement cites the abortion ban passed in South Dakota earlier this year. We're dreaming big right now. What if the Supreme Court agrees to hear Sandra's case? What if the people of South Dakota support the abortion ban passed by their legislators? What if several other states move to pass similar laws (there's about 13 watching SD)? What if what if what if...

I know this- two years ago one of our young people had a dream where a woman named Sandra Cano came out of the Supreme Court to our people praying with LIFE tape out front. In the dream, she asked us if we would stand with her when her case went to court. Not much to misinterpret there.

Tired of just waiting around, Jonathan decided to go up against the Philistines single-handed and pick a fight because his nation was hiding in caves. His armorbearer went with him and said this, "Do all that you have in mind. Go ahead; I am with you heart and soul." We're with you, Sandra.

Rapid Accent

Can I just say that it feels really good to get to Rapid City? We were welcomed here with open arms and warm smiles.

Wounded Knee was incredible yesterday. I'll try to blog more about it later.

Movin' On

We finish our time in Pierre today. Tomorrow we're on to Rapid City for the last leg of our 21-day journey. Everyone is doing well and is excited to get to Rapid. We're leaving early tomorrow in order to detour south for a bit. I'm taking the whole company to Wounded Knee. We're still praying for insight into what God has for us there. It is the site of a horrible massacre in American history where the shedding of innocent blood was spilled. A lot of repentance and proxy have taken place here, but the wound remains open and unhealed.

We went to a parade here in Pierre on Saturday. The city hosted an official "Welcome Home" celebration for all Vietnam veterans. It was huge. Upwards of 30-40K vets flooded into this small capitol city of 12K. They were honored and offically received home in light of the horrible reception they received so long ago. Now this is interesting to me. Our Vietnam vets returned to America in 1973 and were called baby killers. Wounded Knee was again reopened as frustrations escalated during the Wounded Knee Incident also in 1973. Needless to say that Roe v. Wade was passed in 1973. Now 33 years later, could God be bringing healing to all three?

Adrian Cronauer spoke at a ceremony on Saturday. He's the inspiration for Robin Williams' character in the movie "Good Morning, Vietnam." He noted in his speech that our vets returned home only to be called "baby killers," but this country had just passed a law allowing for the legal murder of babies.

I don't get it either.

A Kiss from Heaven

We have been blown away. The tent meetings have been amazing, but we've just received a dream that is nothing less than wisdom from the Throne. Our dear friend Brenda David, who leads the Great Plains House of Prayer, has received an astonishing dream that has been unfolding in recent days. She is meeting with pastors at a city-wide pastors prayer meeting in 15 minutes, so if you read this in the next hour, please pray. Following is the dream:

In my dream there was a knock at my door. I answered the door and was handed an envelope by a faceless person (couldn't distinguish a face). The envelope looked official. I perceived it to be a summons to appear in court. I opened the envelope expecting to see a document/letter. However, what I pulled out was ....a letter! The letter "A"....a cutout of the letter A and it was red with a diaper pin through the top of it. I checked the envelope again and found a note that said, "you must put this on." I was stunned at seeing the letter and could only think of Hester in the novel, The Scarlet Letter. I felt a tinge of the shame and humiliation she had to bear in wearing the scarlet letter. I said, rather indignantly, "I can't put this on! What would people think? I've never committed adultery and I've certainly never had an abortion! And why is this letter red anyway?" The faceless person said, (and here's the goofy part....the person seemed to shift into a Fuller Brush salesman and said, "its the Red Letter Edition just like Jesus' words in the Bible!" as though trying to sell me on the idea of putting it on). But then (back to a more dignified persona) he explained further, it's covered with Jesus blood. This "A" stands for Authority. I pondered that a moment while looking it over more closely. Then suddenly the letter unfolded (like paper doll cutouts) into three A's. The person said, "See the letters stand for Authority - Abolish - Abortion. Behold, I give you authority to trample over snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy." Again I tell you that you must put this on and take this new level of authority. The letters represent the blood of Jesus who paid the price for this authority to be released for the freedom of little souls. You must Arise in Authority to Abolish Abortion. Then I saw fine print on the note. "Arise, take action to abolish the adversary of abortion." Seemed like A's just kept unfolding.

How do you get a dream like that? God himself has kissed this woman. Many of you know that last year one of our team had a dream in which she found a dusty box of old books and was told they were important for the future. The first of those books was Horton Hears a Who by Dr. Seuss. We believe the next one is The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. In the story, a minister gets a woman named Hester pregnant. Hester bears the reproach of the sin by wearing the letter A on her clothes for the rest of her life. The minister conceals his identity and never reveals his sin. In the end, the preacher publicly confesses his silence and bears the same A in his flesh, but not until after an election. How profound that the Church has refused to bear the reproach of abortion and share in the pain of the women. Brenda is sharing this dream with the city-wide pastors and calling for the Church to join her in publicly bearing this reproach...before the election!!! She is literally going to wage a campaign going door to door to tell the message of hurting women and identifying with them as an intercessor. Interesting to note that the child born from this union was named Pearl. Also, Hester means "Esther." I'm feeling an Esther fast comin' on!

More to come.

Oglala Sioux Tribe Law and Order Code

CHAPTER 5
JUVENILE CODE

SECTION 1.05 UNBORN CHILDREN
A child conceived, but not born, is to be deemed an existing person so far as may be necessary for its interests and welfare to be protected in the event of its subsequent birth.

Tent of Meeting

The tent's up and running. We're going into our 3rd day today. The massive tent was packed to almost capacity last night. We may have to drop the walls on Friday and Saturday night. That's a problem I'd like to have to deal with. Our group is small, and the 24/7 teams are barely a skeleton crew. Everyone's spirits are up though and prayer is rollin'.

"God, shift the hearts of South Dakota and legislate the nation from this place. Amen."

3 + 21

Today is the first day of the 21-Days. We began last night at midnight, and we'll end at midnight on the 25th. We've called the entire state of South Dakota to 21 days of prayer and fasting for the ending of abortion. Our tent will be set up today at 6300 W 41st Street in Sioux Falls. Stay tuned for pictures. I'll try to get some kind of gallery up on the web so everyone can see what's happening. We finished the three days of Life Light on Sunday evening and took yesterday off for R&R. It rained for much of beginning of the festival, and the entire place was a mud bog. Our signage didn't get delivered on time so we were a little hard to find. But many people joined us in our tent for intercession which ran nonstop all day for the three days. What a surprise for wandering folks to drift in our tent and find Jason Upton on our little stage. Will Ford also joined us for entire time. Thank you Will. Ron Luce popped into our tent unexpectedly on Saturday night too. We got to pray for him and all he is doing to mobilize America.

We sieged on Friday, Saturday and Monday. Friday was limited to the few in our group plus a few local residents. It rained the entire day. Saturday was interesting though. The festival locked down until 2PM because of the mud, so we rallied as many as possible to the wall. It was amazing. Approximately 337 people stood in silent prayer with LIFE tape on their mouths. There was a hush in the air as cars slowed on the 5 lanes in front of us as they passed by. It was visually stunning, and I believe the Bound4LIFE message has gripped the hearts of Sioux Falls. Our team was pretty tired yesterday, and I assumed not many locals would join us for yet another siege. But oh how I was wrong. Nearly 140 people fasted lunch on Labor Day and stood in silent prayer again. Early in the stand a man drove by and yelled out his window, "Go home!" I could hear in his voice that he had seen us there before. Maybe he had seen us already on Saturday, or perhaps he saw us the day before that or the other three Saturdays. The point is nobody's going home. We'll be there again today, tomorrow and the next day. I invite everyone in and around Sioux Falls to join us from 11-1 in front of Planned Parenthood at 6511 W 41st Street. We'll siege everyday until we leave for Pierre.

ALL OF SOUTH DAKOTA MUST SEE THIS!!!

This is why we can't wait. We can't delay. We can't hesitate in this moment. South Dakota, now is the time.
Summer Ramp '06

Life Light & Sieges

Things are busy busy busy. I've been traveling all over the wonderful state of South Dakota. I've had the privilege of preaching in churches all over the place and in a variety of denominations. I've been invited into everything from Assemblies of God to Lutheran and Baptist to Wesleyan. God is intent on unifying his church on the issue of LIFE. We're so encouraged by what we're beginning to see here.

Life Light is this weekend. We'll have a prayer tent going night and day for the three days, and Lou will be speaking the LIFE message from the main stage on Sunday afternoon. They're expecting over 300,000 people this year during the three-day event. Then we're calling a state-wide season of prayer and fasting for 21 days (September 5-25).

We've been sieging for the last three Saturdays. Turnout has been good. We've had 100+ each week with 130 the first week. One of the sieges was covered by the local NBC affiliate. Kim, Taylor and I were featured in the segment. You can see it at this link.

Well, it all just a quick update. The family's sitting down to eat dinner at Panera now. We're all kinda sick of dining out all the time. Especially since it usually ends up being fast food.

YWAM Wham!

I'm so encouraged today. Some YWAMers have come to South Dakota to fight with us. They were sent here by a dream, knowing nothing of what's going on or what we're doing. They're with the group out of Tyler, TX. That same group has mobilized a large group to reinforce our team in DC as well. C'mon YWAM!

We held our second silent siege on Saturday. What a powerful time. We had about 100 intercessors show up to participate. Many were local residents from Sioux Falls, but there was a surprising amount from the surrounding area. Some folks drove from over an hour away to be there. We will siege again this Saturday, and we're entertaining the thought of continuing on September 2nd during Life Light.

Amazing Statistic

We found out this weekend after meeting with a local adoption agency that there is a waiting list of 110 willing SD couples for every unwanted child that enters the adoption pool.

Today's Quote-of-the-Day

Kate Looby says, "This is extremist behavior and I don't think the people of South Dakota are really comfortable with that kind of protest."

Calling all intercessors

Today was a busy day. We got some office furniture donated to us for free. "Cheap is good, but free is better" as my friend Amy says. We spent most of the day cleaning and setting up the office space. We had the carpets cleaned and they look awesome now. Before we did any of that though, I took the team to 6511 West 41st Street. This is the location where 814 human beings were slain in 2004, and who knows how many since then. There's a building there. From it hangs a defiant banner that reads "PLANNED PARENTHOOD- THESE DOORS WILL STAY OPEN!" We prayed there on the sidewalk today. It wasn't long, but it was powerful.

We will build a wall here like the one in Ez 22:30.
We will build a wall here between Planned Parenthood and the high school across the street.
We will build a wall here like the one we've had in DC for 22 months straight.
We will build a wall here to declare life to South Dakota.
"When the victors, when they come, when the forts of folly fall, find my body near the wall."

This Saturday we will lay siege on this spot. We will be fasting lunch and gathering on the sidewalk in silent prayer from 11 am to 1 pm. No protests, just prayer. We appeal to a higher court and intercede for the defenseless. I want to put 200 people on the wall this weekend and more later. Come South Dakota, the Lord of Hosts is summoning you to battle. We'll see how things intensify and develop in the coming weeks, but come this Saturday and join us with LIFE tape on your mouth. Have to work? Then fast lunch, and join us for 30 minutes. I promise that you'll never be the same again.

Life for South Dakota.

Land Ho!

We officially landed in Sioux Falls on Friday morning, and we hit the ground running. We met with folks from Focus on the Family twice on Saturday and I spoke at an African Amercian church late that night. It was actually at the end of a hip hop concert. My ears are still thumping. This morning I spoke at a small church in Madison just north of Sioux Falls. Across the board South Dakota has absolutely the most hospitable people I've ever met. It has been the same in every city and church I've been in during the last month.

Tomorrow we'll be trying to get our new office set up. The big need will be furniture. We plan to call some local stores to see if they'd be interested in donating any scratch & dent items.

Here we go!

¡Arriba! ¡Arriba! ¡Ándale! ¡Ándale!

No rest for the weary. Kim and I spent the last couple of days in Fort Mill, SC putting what's left of our belongings in storage and coordinating some office stuff for Bound4LIFE. We drove all day yesterday back to DC, and the kids helped us cram a 7-hour drive into a mere 9.5 hours. When I was a kid, I loved the long family road trips. How could the apple have fallen so far from the tree? So we got in late, and I did laundry until midnight. Now I'm sitting at the airport in Baltimore waiting to board a flight to Sioux Falls, SD via Denver. I'll be in Rapids City this weekend meeting with pastors and community leaders in preparation for our September gatherings. Tonight I'll be meeting again with Gabriel Medicine Eagle. He has gathered leaders from the nine Sioux reservations to meet with us concerning Bound4LIFE and what's going on in September. We are feeling like a gathering in October with the Sioux nation will be critical to initiate what God is wanting to do in South Dakota and the US. Please pray that our time together will be productive.

I return to DC at noon on Monday and promptly pack the truck up to drive the whole family back to Sioux Falls that night. We're relocating temporarily to South Dakota to mobilize the state for September and October. Great doors of opportunity have been opened to us there. We're excited to see what God is about to do.

Well, my flight's boarding. Gotta go.

Intern Cloning Passes House/Senate. President Expected to Sign

Ali & Bekah Orewiler. My two favorite twins. Or rather my one favorite twins? One set of twins, two incredible interns. Strike that- make it two incredible intercessors.

Coming into focus

Please be praying for us today. We're doing a conference call with Focus on the Family in the afternoon. We've recently crossed paths with them, and they were surprised that they weren't aware of us. They've suggested that they may want to fly a couple of us out to Colorado Springs to discuss more formally how Focus and Bound4LIFE can cooperate in strategic locations across America.

This is a huge answer to prayer. We've been asking God for a divine connection with Dr. Dobson.

Life

We talked in our community meeting here in DC yesterday about the LIFE message. It is not merely information or content for a sermon and definitely not just food for thought. It has been said that what made Winston Churchill so effective as a leader was not because he was a master statesman or brilliant strategist. It was more about who and what he was- his exuberance, vitality, passion and conviction. It was said that he literally embodied everything that he hoped to inspire in his people. He became the message.

We are not just intercessors for the unborn. We must become the message. We must embody the LIFE message with every fiber of our being. We must become everything that we hope to inspire in others. Life is sacred from beginning to end. That means we must protect the unborn, adopt the unwanted, care for the needy, respect the elderly and provide for the dying. Love conquers all.

Senator Thune

Please pray for this man. We are praying for an open door to meet with Senator John Thune of South Dakota to discuss Bound4LIFE and what's going on before November 7th.

On a geek note

Does anyone know of a sync conduit for Windows Mobile 5.0 and Mac?

2 for 1

What if two seats on the Supreme Court opened up instead of just one? I'm just sayin’...

Back to the Midwest

My trip to Sioux Falls, SD was an overwhelming success. God's hand moved mightily, and it seems to be a season of disruption. This feels like one of those times when all bets are off. The Lord himself changes the times and seasons of our lives. Ferrill and I went to South Dakota with a long list of tasks, and nearly every item was accomplished. We couldn't have had a more productive time. We'll be returning next Friday to do the same thing in Rapids City on the western side of the state. I'm hoping for a little extra time to maybe see Mt. Rushmore and visit some of the Sioux reservations.

In addition to scouring the city for office space and living arrangements, we did anywhere from four to seven meetings a day with little sleep in between. We met with pastors, community leaders, businessmen, intercessors, leaders of the Sioux Nation and Republican campaign directors. Three State Senators even attended some of the meetings, and I think there may have been some Representatives in there somewhere. Something big is stirring in South Dakota.

We're excited to have made a connection with the South Dakota Family Policy Council. They're the SD arm of James Dobson's Focus on the Family. We're praying for a closer and continued relationship with Dr. Dobson as Bound 4 Life gets launched in a big way this September in South Dakota. Two people that I had the extreme pleasure of spending several days with were Gabriel Medicine Eagle and his wife Vi. They are amazing people, and I'm humbled to have spent time with them. Gabe is a native pastor among the Sioux people and has done much to plow the way for a massive move of God on the reservations.

Please pray for finances to come to us. In many ways, we're way over our head. But I realize that God wants this more than I do, so my trust is in Him to accomplish everything. Also, please pray for wisdom for our leadership team. We're considering throwing everything we've got at South Dakota. In military terms, it's called "concentration of force." We're pondering what it means for us if we pull people from our bases in DC, Charlotte, Boston and San Francisco all at the same time.

Lord, I pray for open heavens for South Dakota!

Hour of Decision

Sorry I haven't written much in the last week. I know many of you out there check this site often for updates on what we're doing. I haven't abandoned it or lost interest though. I simply haven't had time to put thoughts to page or even the ability to distill what's happening right now. Suffice it to say I've been led supernaturally on a journey to South Dakota. That's right, I'm in South Dakota right now.

In a nutshell, here's what's going on. In February of this year, both the House and Senate of SD passed HB-1215 and Governor Mike Rounds signed it into law. That's the bill that suddenly got the attention of the entire nation because it banned abortion. No, abortion didn't end, but this was designed to make sure that it did anticipating Roe v Wade being overturned in the Supreme Court at some point in the near future. Immediately, pro-choice activist groups decended on these small midwestern towns and mustered a signature petition to have the law put to popular vote on November 7th. So, again, the state is in an hour of decision. It's all about where you stand on the shedding of innocent blood. Law makers have taken a bold stand on this issue and have done their duty. Now the people must decide by showing up at the ballot box in less than four months. Planned Parenthood is currently fund raising on a massive scale and launching an ad campaign designed to sway the masses and specifically to confuse them so that people are unclear on the issue. The item on the ballot will be called "Referred Law 6" and people need to vote "Yes" on it in order to keep the new law on the books.

Now this is an interesting development. As soon as Governor Rounds signed the law, the president of the Sioux Nation made a stunning statement. Cecelia Fire Thunder, their first female president, told the press that she would personally open an abortion clinic on the Sioux reservation in Pine Ridge out of the jurisdiction of the US government. What an incredibly defiant move! What has developed in the aftermath is nationally significant though. On May 31st the Council of Elders convened and moved to suspend Ms. Fire Thunder while impeachment hearings took place. On June 29th the Sioux Nation impeached their president. They released a statement that abortion was not consistent with Sioux values because "life is sacred."

As a ministry The Cause has been in a whirlwind for the last week and half. Divine appointments have opened up. Unexpected invitations have arose. And step by step we have been drawn into South Dakota. Why? Why now? Why us? We have revisited a prophetic word that was released by Chuck Pierce and Dutch Sheets on June 28, 2004 which says this in part:

God is going to use this state very strategically to tear down national strongholds. If we don’t get breakthrough in SD... we don’t get revival in America. SD will become a very conspicuous place... from this place the nation will begin to be legislated. There is something here that has to happen that is going to release the nation, and if we don’t get it here, the nation can’t go into what the Lord wants.

The prophecy goes on to say:

I just decree right now, in Jesus’ name, that the Spirit of God is coming to visit the Native People of this state... There is going to be an outpouring of the Spirit of God that comes to this region, and it is going to flow through all of these reservations... there has been something reserved for those people, and they will rise up and begin to be seen as a people of God, as a blessed people, as a people visited by the very Spirit of the Lord, and there will be a move of God’s Spirit that will be key to what He wants to do in this entire state.

Now c'mon. How do you walk into Pierre, SD and get that? Have you seen Pierre? South Dakota is the poster child for small town America. The local sore point I've discovered here is that Rand McNally actually left South Dakota out of the almanac. When called on it, they said "Well, South Dakota doesn't matter anyway." (A comment they quickly retracted) We believe that God is wanting to fulfill this word right now. I am here with my friend Ferrill Galloway, director for Bound 4 Life, meeting with local pastors and leaders to discuss what God is wanting to do. As a ministry, we are considering sending all of our forces to South Dakota in September for 21 days of 24/7 prayer and fasting. We want to mobilize the entire nation to rally to SD to fight the battles of the Lord. Were dreaming big on this one. What if thousands and thousands hear the call to come to South Dakota? What if they join the South Dakotans here and throw themselves into prayer and fasting with abandon. What if the hearts of this state remain steadfast on the abortion issue and simultaneously a third seat opens up on the Supreme Court? What if President Bush appoints a third conservative judge that becomes the swing vote to overturn Roe v Wade? What if South Dakota then becomes the first state to ban abortion in America and begin to redeem the land? What if the prophetic word is true?

It's worth everything I have to find out.

Print this out. Share it with everyone you know. Begin to pray and mobilize in every circle of influence you have be it big or small. Watch for more info here on my blog and also at www.bound4life.com.

Full Circle

It's pretty cool right now. God has truly blessed me. It began last year when we moved to DC from Colorado. We made a pit stop at our former church in Muncie, IN where I had the opportunity to share a bit about what we're doing. We hadn't been in that church for over eight years. Two days later I received a phone call that one of the young people there had decided to put off college and join us in DC. It was Ali Orewiler. Her and her twin sister Rebekah go way back with Kim and I. We've known them pretty much their entire lives, and they were the flower girls at our wedding when they were four years old. In January, Rebekah decided to postpone school after taking only one semester and join us in DC too. How wonderful it has been to have these amazing young ladies from our previous lives with us again. Now we've been joined by one of our former students from Denver. Sarah Taylor has become a vital part of the community here, and she is proving herself invaluable in so many ways. It's amazing to have these young people from our different stages of life here with us. And now Sarah's younger brother Jared is visiting for three weeks too. Jared is nothing less than a spiritual son to me. He's just finished his sophomore year of high school, and here he is giving up his summer in service to his country and generation. These young people are off the charts. I wish I had half of their zeal when I was their age. I'm honored to be here with them and blessed to have them in my life.

Thank you Ali, Bekah, Sarah and Jared. You make my life rich.

On The Road Again

We're piling in the car for another road trip tomorrow. Our friend and cohort Chuck Mervin is getting married this Saturday at MorningStar which shares our base in Fort Mill, SC. This will make two trips to the Cause base down there in three weeks (can anyone say $3.05 per gallon?). Big plus for this trip though- my close friend of over 20 years, Jeff Eckart, is speaking at a youth camp just outside Greensboro, NC right along our way. What great timing since our whole families haven't been able to get together for over two years. We'll be spending Thursday evening and Friday morning with them and then heading on to Fort Mill about an hour away.

In other news, we had a great family day on Saturday visiting the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum. This is like the coolest place in the world. C'mon Spirit of St. Louis! It's all about long-distance flying.

Dallas

There's a rumbling in Dallas tonight. The conference got off to a strong start, but there was definitely ground to plow. I'm expectant that tomorrow will be incredible. The first night with Lou is always like "Shock and Awe." Rapid bombardment of all previously held views, opinions and stands. Something good will rise out of Dallas. A contender will rise to fight.

Southbound

I head to Dallas, TX tomorrow afternoon. We're hosting one of our Rumble conferences there this weekend, and I'm going down to coordinate everything. I think I travel now more than I ever did in my previous career. I actually enjoy it though. Kim and the kids will be staying behind for this little excursion. It'll be nice to fly on a trip for a change since we've been driving all over the country lately.

Nice Surprise

OK. I don't like to admit it, but I googled myself today. Don't ask me why. Probably some deep-seated secret longing for acceptance. Afterall, I just want to be loved. OR NOT...




Anyway.

I googled myself and found out that I received an award three months after I quit my job to become a missionary. The very last TV spot that I created in my 12-year career in advertising was recognized by ADWEEK in their "Best Spots." The commercial was created for Ford, and tells the story of a young woman in search of the last good man on earth. It just so happens that the last good man is a Sasquatch, and it took a Ford Escape to get her there. This was in the top three funnest shoots I ever did in my career. It was a nice way to exit.

Paul Hicks played our 6'-7" hero. Jim, my partner, played the 5'-10" writer. That's him in the bottom shot, not the top. Miss you bro!

*Disclaimer (wouldn't be a Ford spot without one)- No, I do not believe in evolution. I apologize for the fact that, if anything, advertising argues against the "Intelligent Design" theory.

Family Newsletter In The Mail

We just put a newsletter in the mail yesterday. Hopefully it will reach everyone soon.

Call to Prayer

We've just blasted out an important article that Lou Engle has written. I would encourage you to read it.

Lest We Forget

I went to see "United 93" today. I was rocked by the entire experience. If you look at reviews, many have questioned whether it was too soon to make a movie about this. My opinion now is that the timing is impeccable. I found myself caught up not in the drama but in the memory of the experience. I cried through half the film. How poignant to see the moment of the muslims in the front of the plane praying to Allah while the folks in the back prayed to God (talk about contending houses of prayer). I felt Greengrass did a good job making the movie apolitical, although there were clear statements throughout. This movie is a huge window into the spiritual state of America and the Western Church in 2001. The first three hijacked planes made it to their targets before our intelligence organizations had a clue what was going on. We were only able to scramble four military aircraft, and they came too late and unprepared. The first two were not armed, and the other two flew east instead of north. Is that a picture of where the praying Church was at that time? Half of us had no weapons, and the other half of us were going the wrong way?

I'm not criticizing the people or agencies for their response in that event. My thoughts turn more to the Church, her place at that time, and her continued response now. Damon Thompson shared a story at our RumbleUSA conference in January that has stuck with me. He told of how he sat stunned and angry in front of his television on 9/11 watching the tragedy unfold. He stood up and threw his remote against the wall smashing it yelling, "God, where were the prophets?" God responded by asking back, "Where were you?"

A Sober Evening

The entire community went to see "United 93" last night. We then had a community meeting afterwards to discuss the effect of the film. I stayed home to babysit, but I plan to see the film today. I'll write more about what I feel after that.

The range of emotions and reaction to the movie was broad in our group. The overall response, though, was that America has fogotten what happened. Could it even be said that we have somehow fallen in love with Islam? That's a bold statement, I know. Undoubtedly me saying that will ruffle some feathers out there. Rees Howells said this during WWII, "Mussolini is a man. But Hitler can tell you the day the spirit entered him." Mr. Howells and his band of 100 intercessors knew what they were battling. They understood that while the soldiers were resisting the advance of tanks and infantry, they were resisting the advance of dark spiritual forces bent on world domination. He encouraged his prayer force that they were no less important than the man on the front holding a rifle. It was their stand that determined the outcome of The Battle of Britain. September 11th is a graphic example of how the American Church lost air supremacy. No, not the superiority of our Air Force. I'm talking about the air supremacy of the heavens. There are dark, spiritual forces bent on world domination again. Who will take a stand to resist them?

The Cause is contemplating blasting out an endorsement to see this film. It obviously contains extremely tense thematic material and language. The Lord's name is taken in vain, and it has an overall R rating. We're praying about this.

A Muslim Point of View

A large group of international representatives were touring the Capitol yesterday as our group stood in front of the Supreme Court. They were meeting with people from all branches of our government for Q&A sessions. They had just met with a Supreme Court Justice when some of them noticed our small band of intercessors standing with life tape. Intrigued, a few actually came over to ask what we were doing. A man from Iraq and another from India talked with our spokesperson and asked a bunch of questions about what we were doing. It seems one of them had planned to ask the Justice about Roe v Wade, but time ran out. As they were leaving the man from Iraq turned to a collegue and stated about us, "This is a higher agency."

When passerbys ask us what we're protesting, our patented answer is, "It's not a protest. It's a prayer meeting."® We take our stand in front of the highest court in the land, and we appeal day after day to a Higher Court. Our lobbying is not before men (although the life tape serves as a sign and wonder, not to mention a subpoena to the conscience of men), but we lobby Heaven itself. This muslim man's comment was astute. In the natural, we may look like an unpolished bunch of rif raf, but in reality we are a higher agency.

Lockett v MVA

So my truck has been sitting in the garage here at the Farm since December. That's when my Colorado plates expired. Putting this vehicle back on the road has been one of the most complicated tasks I've ever taken on. I'm convinced that Maryland has quite a racket going on with the whole "state safety inspection standards" thing. I finally made the required repairs in in February, but then I had to leave for Boston- two more months of garage time. Now here's the real trick- convincing my proof of Maryland residency. I don't own a home, rent a home, pay any utility bills and my mail goes to a P.O. Box in DC. Unnnghh.

Talk about a headache. I'm happy to say that I took on the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration and won. The Prize? My Rover's street legal again, and the state of Maryland has collected a bunch more of my money.

And now for my evil act of the day. Would someone please hum Willie Nelson's song "On The Road Again" for me? With any luck you'll all have that song mercilessly playing over and over again in your heads all day.

Good to be home

We drove all day yesterday and most of the night. We arrived back home in DC at about 3:30 AM. I must say that it feels good to be home. I really haven't been here since the second week of February. That seems so long ago.

The interns didn't burn the house down!

64+ oz. of Pure Love

We found this guy while stuck in a traffic jam, so I did a little internet research. Unless this guy did his own mod, 1988 Chevy Astro vans didn’t come with built-in catheters.

That travel mug is larger than his thigh! Can anyone say "The Bladinator?"

IMPOSTER!

I've heard it said that the Shriners aren't a secret society. They're just a society with secrets. Well here's one now! They're not foolin' anybody. There'll only be one Sir Gus.

Driving With Dolphins / Swimming With Camels

The day started with a boat ride out into the Gulf for a little dolphin watching. If you’re talking to Fisher, kindly refer to the dolphins as “sharks” (it makes him feel cooler). The day ended with a drive over to the Atlantic side where we met a camel that had been knighted by the British crown for brave exploits in her majesty’s service no doubt.

Interns of The Cause should be jealous. Gus has a better ride than any of you. Anyone seen “Pimp My Camel’s Ride?”

Sunset on the Gulf

I just loved this pic and wanted everyone to see it.

Florida Bound

We drove non-stop through the night to get down to Florida today. Time for a much needed family vacation. We arrived in Orlando at about 5 PM after burning up I-75 for about 17 hours. Much love and thanks go out to my sister-in-law April and her employee discounts with Marriott Hotels. This trip would not have been possible without you! We plan to spend the next couple days at Universal Studios parks, then a couple days at Clearwater Beach on the Gulf side and on to Cocoa Beach for a couple days on the Atlantic side.

But first, some sleep.

At home in Indiana

Greetings from the land of the indian. It is ridiculously green here (think Cambodia). In the last few days we've gone from 40° Boston with bare trees to 65° DC starting to turn green. Now it's like 80° and water-logged here in Indy. Some tornados ripped through here last week. I drove right down the middle of one such path the other day. It looked like a war zone except one house would be fine and the one next to it would be completely gone. Of course, amid all the homes in its path, the tornado did manage to search and destroy at least one mobile home. There must be some unseen meteorological force at work that magnetically draws tornados to trailers.

We leave for Florida on Saturday. White sand beach here I come.

busy busy

Just a quick entry with not much time to write. We ended the 40 days in Boston on Sunday the 9th. We had an incredible 4 day conference that evening, and we're expectant of something amazing to happen in New England and Harvard. Total hits on the Facedown40 site was 3,858,414. We're all completely blown away by the amount of support and rallied prayer.

We spent the beginning of the week mopping up loose ends in Boston and sent the interns on their way back to DC on Tuesday. Our family stayed behind and spent Wednesday prayer walking Bradford College. It's a small New England school that closed its doors in May 2000. Unbelievably, it has sat unoccupied for almost six years, and the price is rediculously cheap. We're praying for a financial stream that could allow The Cause to purchase it and open an international base for training and mobilization of a new Student Volunteer Missions Movement.

We drove back to DC yesterday, and we're leaving for vacation tonight. Indiana's our destination for Easter with family. Then we're off to Florida for a little R&R on the beach.

Keep y'all posted soon.

Hit Me

26 days and Facedown40.com is at 2,160,876 hits.

Noble Character on Aisle 5

Kim just had an unusual experience at the grocery store. A little old lady followed her from isle to isle continuously asking for things off the shelf. Kim was glad to help at first, but then it just got weird as she kept asking and asking. Here's to my wife though. I probably would have been tempted to either speed up or make a sharp turn for the frozen salisbury steak section just to get away. Kim, however, kept right on getting her whatever she needed. After about seven isles of this, the old lady said to Kim, "I've been trying to incriminate you, but I guess I can't." Then she went away.

???

Proverbs 31:10,11,20- "A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value... She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy."

Skeletons in the Church

Fisher, my five-year-old son, woke up from an incredible dream yesterday morning. He came to get in bed with me pretty early because the dream had disturbed him. In the dream, he was going to the church here in Boston where we're holding the 40-days. When he got there, he was afraid to go in. The church was completely filled with people, but they were only skeletons and bones. As soon as he said that the Spirit spoke to me that this was the great army of Harvard and New England.

You can't hear a dream like that and not turn to Ezekiel 37. In it Ezekiel is taken to a valley filled with dry bones and is asked, "Can these bones live?" He is then instructed to prophesy to the bones, and when he does there's a loud "rattling" sound. The bones come together as muscles and tendon attach, but there's no life in them. Then he prophesies for breath to enter them. When it does, they stand up and form a vast army.

Could this be the place that we now stand? The bones have rattled together, and they await breath to enter them for life? It's interesting in the dream that Fisher was afraid to go in to the church. Here's what I think it means. Fisher represents the "fishers of men." There will be no great harvest unless we are willing to enter in to the place of intercession and fasting. Resistance has been great here in Boston. This is no easy row to how. It has become clear that the Church of New England hates the prophetic word of God. Without revelation the bones simply dry up. But we are now 20 days into this fast. Things are shifting and the fate of the nation hangs in the balance. We have recommitted ourselves as a company of intercessors. We choose to press in and intensify the fast. It is so important to move with God in the moment he declares. Windows of opportunity are finite. Waves come and go, and you have to choose to catch the wave.

Facedown40.com

The Facedown40 site that we launched only 16 days ago has now received 1,496,080 hits as of this hour. That's crazy activity. We are completely humbled by how this word has spread all over the globe. We've gotten emails from people the world over saying that they're praying and fasting with us during this 40-day period.

The Fighting 49ers

An extra devotional has been blasted out today, the third day of an intensifed fast coinciding with Purim. Many of our company have intensified their fasts for the last three days during the overall 40-day fast by going only water and some to Esther fast (no food/no water). We feel like God has given us laserbeam focus in this time for our prayers concerning the Middle East. Please follow the link to The Fighting 49ers and read this stirring devotion written by Lou this morning. It is profound to say the least. Please remember that our 40-day fast began March 1 and ends April 9- "4/9". Blast this meditation out to everyone you know. Print it out and post it on bulletin boards. Sky write it if you have to. This could be the Church's finest hour.

They haven't seen economic issues

My good friend Eric Morgan in Muncie, IN forwarded an email to me this morning regarding the Indiana legislation I previously wrote about (see HB1080 and C'mon Indiana). The American Family Association of Indiana issued an email blast this morning. Below is an excert:

STATE LEGISLATURE ENDS: Big Economic Issues Overshadowed Pro-Family Issues

Yesterday was the final day of the Indiana legislature, and it was definitely a race to the finish line for a lot of big issues. Most of the media attention was on Indy Works, Indianapolis fire department consolidation and Major Moves, toll road privatization. These two big issues had a lot of political dynamics that made for some drama and entertaining stories for the media, but there were also some significant pro-family issues headed for the Governor’s desk and then into the law books.

Perhaps the biggest topic of interest for social conservatives in the last couple weeks surrounds two pro-life bills, HB 1172 and HB 1080. The first bill involved recognition that life begins at conception and an informed consent provision informing women considering abortion that at a certain point the child might feel pain. HB 1172 passed the House last night by a vote of 75-23 last night. Unfortunately, the Senate failed to pass the bill before the midnight deadline, and therefore, it died.

House Bill 1080 fared even less well. The language requiring the Indiana State Department of Health to inspect abortion clinics was completely stripped from the bill and education deregulation language was inserted, changing the entire topic of the bill. The ISDH has consistently opposed applying health and safety standards, such as those that apply to other outpatient surgical centers, to existing abortion clinics. In the end, it appears that they won. Yet, it will be a hollow victory if any more Hoosier women are the victims of sub-standard care as were those who testified before the Senate Health Committee in the mid-90’s. This is a battle pro-life supporters will have to fight again in another legislature.

While the Department of Health does not seem to want to know what is going on in Indiana’s abortion clinics, they have shown a keen interest in church picnics and pitch-in dinners. House Bill 1235 passed the last night 78-7 in the House and 50-0 in the Senate with language exempting churches from having to meet retail food guidelines like those applied to McDonalds for simply having an occasional bake sale, church supper or a concession stand.

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It would seem that the "Purpose Driven Bake Sale" is entact and secure for the Hoosier state.

Ides of March

Major breakthrough in the last few days! Also, major resistence. It may sound silly to you, but witches have shown up at our meetings. There have been spiritual attacks, but that's to be expected with the pot we're stirring. We're messing with systems that have been in place for a long time. Too long. Religious spirits have had dominion over the Church of New England for far too long. The're manifesting in crazy ways all over the place. The occult has deep roots here too. We've had to battle unusual sickness and confusion at every turn. There have been dreams revealing witches cursing our community and what we're doing. Strange things are beginning to manifest on the street corners as our people are coming in contact with people while walking around town. One of our young people was standing on a corner yesterday and was drawn to look at a woman approaching him. As they stopped to gaze into each other's eyes, she began to shake violently and uncontrollably. Basically, the city of Cambridge has become a beehive of spiritual activity. Prophetic dreams in our community have blown off the charts. We're going after this Islam thing hardcore. I'm daring to believe that my God is bigger than the spirit behind Islam. We're believing for massive sweeping conversion in the muslim community. It could be the greatest harvest the Church has ever seen. One of our prayer leaders had a dream last night in which she was approached by a muslim man. In the dream, she knew he was from Persia. He said to her angrily, "Your prayers are going out everywhere. Stop what you're doing now, or I'll kill you!" She was consumed suddenly with fear, but then she began to plead the blood of Jesus. As she did this a whirlwind erupted around her and continued to grow forcing the muslim man to step further and further back. C'mon, that's what I'm talking about. God has not abdicated one one square inch of the earth. He is going to war on everything He did not create. Will he find an army willing and ready for battle?

Again and again, I'm not talking about hatred or violence toward man- any man. But I AM talking about extreme violence in the heavens. Prayer and fasting that explodes like smart bombs in the enemy's camp. Laser beam accuracy in our prayers as we call for His will on earth as it is in heaven. Dreams and the prophetic word give us that secret intelligence. We will not be a people that simply react- always on the defense against the Devil's advance of his kingdom. We will be the offensive arrow of the Lord's victory. To the victor go the spoils, and I want to sack the enemy's camp. The spoils are the countless souls waiting to be rescued and liberated from bondage.

Isaiah 58:6-9 (NKJV)
Is this not the fast that I have chosen:
To loose the bonds of wickedness,
To undo the heavy burdens,
To let the oppressed go free,
And that you break every yoke?
Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,
And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out;
When you see the naked, that you cover him,
And not hide yourself from your own flesh?
Then your light shall break forth like the morning,
Your healing shall spring forth speedily,
And your righteousness shall go before you;
The glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.
Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer;
You shall cry, and He will say, “Here I am.”

Please go to www.facedown40.com/cms/ to read the daily meditations that are being written by Lou Engle, Mike Bickle, Francis Frangipane and Dutch Sheets. These are powerful devotions aimed at focusing our prayers and fasting during this 40 day season. Right now, though, we feel like the next three days are a key turning point. Before we ever came here, there were dreams indicating that the "Ides of March" would be pivotal. In the last couple days, we have again received direction that this next few days are crucial. The Ides of March refers to March 15. Last night there was a dream in which the 13th, 14th and 15th of a calendar were highlighted in yellow and seemed to jump out. Could these next three days be specifically significant in turning the tide of the battle? We believe so, and so we are responding with extreme measures. In the midst of our 40-day fast, we are calling for an even more intense fast. Many are moving to water-only fasts and some are even moving to an Esther fast (no food, no water). Let it be said in the end that we didn't shrink back from the battle and that we never gave up.