Is America Under a Curse?

Hurricanes.... earthquakes.... floods.... fires.... we are now living in perilous days. Could it be that we have we opened the door and removed our nations protection? As so many of our friends are dealing with the after-effects of Hurricane Harvey, and now Hurricane Irma is heading toward FL, we must pray like never before. I truly believe that we must cry out and repent as a nation. Psalms 33:12, "Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people he chose for His inheritance." America has been blessed in miraculous ways since we helped the nation be restored on May 14, 1948. Some will argue that Roe V. Wade in 1973 and even the radical over step of the SCOTUS to make same-sex marriage legal (June 22, 2016, Obergefell v. Hodges) is proof that America is a lost nation. These rulings are in direct contempt of God's Word.

Nevertheless, I believe that America will always be protected as long as they do one thing.... stand with Israel. The last White House administration sided with the UN against the Nation of Israel. I knew on that day that they had opened the flood gates of destruction upon America. http://nationalinterest.org/…/has-obama-betrayed-israel-the…. This betrayal of the Holy Land was a major mistake. Our hope was that with the new administration, we as a nation would wake-up to this terrible mistake. This week I was on a phone call with many Christian leaders for POTUS Shield. One of the contributors on the call was a leader from Washington DC who works for the security and promotion of Israel. He shared some startling statistics. After the call I began to research some of his information. He shared that much calamity has come to America when we have been on the wrong side of Israel in recent past. I found some of this info on Info Wars - https://www.infowars.com/10-times-that-god-has-hit-america…/ The fact is that our President has promised to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Our prayer is that he does just that. 

Our prayer is that our POTUS will surround himself with Godly and righteous leaders whom understand that we must bless and not try to divide Israel. Recently, we do know that President Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, has been working behind the scenes to broker a peace deal. The question is whether this is in Israels favor. http://fortune.com/…/donald-trump-jared-kushner-israel-pea…/ Our hope is that America is once again on the side of Israel. If not then we are in deeper trouble. It was Christians whom helped elect the agenda of President Trump. His stand for the unborn and the nation of Israel were selling points for many. I believe that he must do what he has promised. The Kingdom of God, the church and the righteous must arise and make their voices known like never before. Now I am sure there will be some whom attack this post. They obviously do not understand that we must remember the scripture from Genesis 12:3, in which God states, "He will bless those that bless Israel."

There are many ways to bless God’s Holy nation. We are instructed to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May they prosper who love you.”' – Psalm 122:6. Those that pray for Jerusalem will prosper. Educate your church by encouraging prayer for Israel, deliver teachings on Israel, and create support groups. Display the Israel flag at your home, church, or ministry as a sign of support and love. Do not support political legislation that divides Jerusalem or Israel. Division of God's land is forbidden in Joel 3:2. 

Karen and I believe that it is time for the Remnant to arise and stand for truth like never before. Let us pray for Israel! The Jewish people are a great and holy nation that we should bless and be grateful for. Blessing Abraham and his descendants honors the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob - the very Lord whom Christians claim as their God and Father of Jesus Christ. God told Abraham that all nations would be blessed because of Israel. And all have been blessed with the opportunity for eternal life that was given by the King of the Jews, Jesus Christ. It is written, "You worship what you do not know, we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews" John 4:22. As we have seen in recent days there is much discussion taking place behind the scenes once again of a Palestinian State being created, and for Israel to relinquish some of its land. This will never take place! God will not allow the land to be divided. 

My heart was stirred when our President declared a national day of prayer on Sunday Sept. 3, 2017 for the victims of Hurricane Harvey https://www.whitehouse.gov/…/president-donald-j-trump-procl…. Could it be that we should also join the international day of prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem? It is held on the first Sunday of every October. Our friends at Eagle Wings have info that can be found here: http://eagleswings.to/israel/dayofprayer. Let us pray, repent and line up with God's Word. God is not done with our nation. God has used our nation to send missionaries to the world, help the hurting and welcome those with no homeland. As missionaries to this great nation we believe that now, more than ever, we must contend for a Holy Spirit revival. We must rebuild the altar! Jehovah Nissi יְהוָה נִסִּי is our standard!

I Resign ... When He Walks In

Have you ever been in a service when suddenly the atmosphere shifts and things seem to suddenly change! It is as if time stands still…. As if suddenly you knew that He walked in!  See, when He walks in things must change!  When He decides to come into a place other things must take a second place.  For Him to dwell other things might get interrupted or disturbed!  The desire for more of Jesus will always produce three things: The frustration of knowing there is another level; A passion to keep pushing forward; and a thirst that will not be quenched by yesterday’s encounter.  We have been living off yesterday’s encounter for too long.  I cannot shake the stirring that God is moving and longs to do a new thing – to disturb the status quo.

I love this quote by Sir Francis Drake, “Disturb us, Lord, when we are too well pleased with ourselves. When our dreams have come true because we dreamed too little. When we arrive safely because we have sailed too close to the shore. Disturb us, Lord!” Isn’t it time we got disturbed!  As you are even reading this newsletter, I challenge you to say those words, “Disturb me, Oh Lord!”

In John, we find a woman named Mary who got interrupted and disturbed when He walked in.  John 20:16-17 says, “ Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”). 17 Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” You see, this was the same Mary who had washed His feet (Luke 7:38).  The same one that had met Him on the road in John 11 but this time was different.  This time something had changed.  Now there was a shift! He said “don’t touch me!” Why?  The answer to why is something God shared with me early one morning just over a month ago, when at 4:50am, He woke me up asking if He could interrupt me.  The reason something was different this time that Mary saw Him was because Glory had interrupted her fleshly reaction!

Part of the interruption He did in me and to me that early morning I am going to try to share and explain.  See, I love the anointing, we all do.  It is the anointing that breaks the bondage (Isaiah 10:27) and it is the anointing that separates (Ex. 4:15).  The anointing empowers (2 Cor. 4:7) (1 Sam. 16:13).  I love the anointing!  Jesus gave up glory and put on the anointing. (John 8:54). The anointing is what stays with us (Romans 11:29) and it means identity with Him to do even greater (John 14:12).  With the anointing, we destroy the works of the enemy (1 John 3:7-9). 

I love the anointing, but is there more?  Could it be I had settled? I had fallen in love with the touch of God upon me; rather than desiring the God of the touch? Now here is the intersection I mentioned…  After the anointing comes the glory.  Too often we have stopped at the anointing but we must realize there is more, there is glory!  The key to His glory is that - Glory Follows Order!  From the very beginning we see God’s order in things, from the creation of the earth we see an order and then His glory dwelled.  When He tells Moses to build the tabernacle for His glory to dwell, we see specific instructions and then His glory filled the tabernacle.  Glory follows Order!  Each time they built an altar, then a temple and then a sacrifice was placed and then the glory came! You will never have glory without sacrifice.  It might not be fun in the moment or seem hard at the time but it’s bringing you to the Glory!  And the Glory is worth it!  When you make an adjustment, another level comes. The anointing is the key! The altar is the Door! The Glory is the reward!

The Glory of God has always been an orchestrated interrupter and when it comes in, the anointing must take a back seat.  We can’t just settle for the anointing! Could it be that we have not tasted glory… because somewhere along the way it will require the death of the agenda and the establishment of His authority. We have settled for grace, become enamored with the anointed and reduced the glory to lights, sound and inaction! We celebrate gifting’s on stages, but I cannot find in God's Word where the seduction of man's eyes on the stage of approval to have ever caused the reduction of Satan's power in someone’s life.  If we love the anointing and God’s touch on our lives more than God taking control, then we have fallen to the same lie that Satan believed in Heaven. Gifting's personified does not mean that God is glorified. We must resign from the plaudits of man.  To preach a happy message without the Holy message removes the power of the message and negates the messenger.  Anointed leaders without the Glory equal a powerless church.  1 Cor. 2:4, “My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God's power.” So, let’s get back to Mary and her intersection with Jesus after the resurrection.  Mary shows up in the garden and she wants to cling to Jesus like she has before, but He was different.  We must resign from yesterday’s touch!  

We must become reflectors of His glory!  2 Cor. 3:18, “So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord— who is the Spirit--makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.”  The church must stop treating Jesus as a moment! Baptism by fire is for every day. Glory has come to us. We are now what Father has purposed to display.

I realized in my God interruption that early morning that it was time for my resignation!  The restoration of glory will require the proclamation of the resignation of self ! The enemy is after your anointing, but he is afraid of the Glory! So, His goal is to torture the saints and reduce the called!  Until your anointing cannot be robbed from you by crowds, numbers, insecurity, circumstance and pain you will always sell it off as cheap lip balm to the first voice of compromise! 

I’ll end this blog with a question.  So, which Saul are you?  There are two Saul’s in the Bible and they are very different.  The difference in Saul in the Old Testament and then Saul (Paul) in the New Testament. Saul, the King was anointed by Samuel, but the murderer Saul was anointed by Glory. King Saul had built one altar in his life, 1 Samuel 14:25, Then Saul built an altar to the LORD; it was the first time he had done this.”  In contrast, Paul (Saul) in the New Testament lived on the altar!  Phil. 1:21, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” King Saul was rejected by God!  1 Samuel 15:26, “But Samuel said to him, "I will not go back with you. You have rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD has rejected you as king over Israel!"  Saul desired man’s approval more than He desired God’s.   Even when he had sinned against God, he begged Samuel to go with him before the people just for appearances.    1 Samuel 15:30, “Saul replied, "I have sinned. But please honor me before the elders of my people and before Israel; come back with me, so that I may worship the LORD your God."  But then there is the other Saul, Paul, who has an encounter with His glory and is forever changed.  He died to his own desires.   Galatians 6:14 (NLT), “As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world's interest in me has also died.”

It all starts with the invitation to God to invade my life and destroy my flesh. We must make a place for the weary traveler called “The Holy Spirit”.  We must humbly approach God! He is not asking for your talent, but rather looking for your brokenness.  I believe God desires to walk into all our lives today and manifest His Glory.  I pray that He interrupts your day, your week, your month … I challenge you to say, “Disturb me, Oh Lord” and begin to move past the normal and seek His Glory!  

Have You Lost Your Keys?

Have you ever felt like you simply did not have access to go where God has called you to go? We have been there, Karen and I! For years, we knew that God had more for us to do. We just couldn’t seem to find the keys. Jesus gave a promise to the disciples that they could have the keys. Matthew 16:19, I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” For two years, Karen and I, after being prompted by the Holy Spirit, have prayed for the Matthew 16:19, “Keys to the Kingdom. “ The word “Keys” (kleis in the Greek) means power and authority. I am writing you today to tell you God has keys for you. Last summer, on July 25, 2016, Karen, Abby and I were in Orange Beach, AL to attend a dear friend’s ministry board meeting that Karen and I serve on. We decided to go on a prayer walk that morning on the beach. As we walked along a deserted area of the beach we took hands and prayed, “Lord, give us the keys to the kingdom.” Suddenly, there in the ocean surf was a key. We ran into the water and picked up the key. 

Karen and I rejoiced over this simple act of love from the Father. That morning our God knew we would be walking, praying and need a sign from above. Since that moment we have seen God do more in one year than in the last 19 years! God has shown us that without His authority you will never be granted into places that have previously been closed to you.

 Have you ever lost your keys?

There is nothing more frustrating than needing to get in a door, but finding it locked and the key nowhere to be found. I must speak to those that feel frustrated spiritually. It is time to find your keys! A few days after we found the key on the beach I had a prophetic vision while praying. In the vision I saw the waist of Jesus with a large belt on it. On the belt was a massive key ring with thousands of keys. Jesus spoke to me and said, “Pat, I have every key you have ever needed to accomplish my work. Now tell my bride I have the keys!” The prophet Isaiah declared in Isaiah 22:22, ^“I will place on his shoulder the key to the house of David; what he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.”

Did you know that God has keys for his bride to go places that they never imagined? Realize that you belong to Gods family! 1 John 3:1, “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God….” We must realize that God has been waiting on his children to grab ahold of their authority! If not you, then who? Romans 8:19 declares, “For [even the whole] creation [all nature] waits eagerly for the children of God to be revealed. (AMP)” Therefore, you have access to His house. Everyone in our family has a key to our house. Would we give that key to perfect strangers? No! Only those whom belong to the family! You belong to the family of God. I have learned that big doors open with little keys. Often we are trying to go places without access being granted. This causes us to get frustrated and live a life haunted by a terrorist called lethargy. God has not called you to be stuck in the same place, but we are called to move forward. I have come to tell you that God has called you to realize that “He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. (Phil. 1:6)” This is your moment to take back what the enemy has taken from you and to walk places you have only dreamed! 

7 KEYS TO YOUR DOOR OF AUTHORITY

Key #1- Repentance- Cry out to God and ask him to forgive and cleanse you of all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).  The blood of Jesus has given you and access to the very heart of God! (Hebrews 10:19)

Key #2- Develop a prayer life! 1 John 5:14-15, “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. ¹And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.” When you pray you learn the heart of God! God is waiting on you to tell him what you need. Phil. 4;6, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

Key #3- Live in His Presence! Every day seek out the secret place! God is waiting on you for secret encounters. Psalm 16:11, “You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” Here is a key we have found: the way we position ourselves impacts the volume of God’s voice. The surroundings we choose to be in either position us closer to God or father away. When God calls us deeper in Him, we must put away all distractions and allow our faith level to rise.

Key #4- Study His Word- God’s word is his map for your life! Psalms 119:105, “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” Hebrews 4:12, ^“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

Key #5- Grow in Faith- Realize that nothing is impossible with God! Jesus promised in Mark 11:23-24, “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. Therefore, I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”

Key #6- Walk in Boldness- Your boldness determines the path God leads you on! Luke 10:19-20, “I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.”

Key #7- Be a giver! Giving opens doors that you could have never imagined would open for you! Proverbs 18:16, “Giving a gift can open doors; it gives access to important people!” When you invest in the kingdom of God everything else will be given to you.  Matt. 6:33, “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

Are you ready to see doors open? Rev. 3:8, “I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.” This is your now!  Finding that key on the beach that day led us on a journey this past year where we have literally begun to find other keys: keys to our health; keys to new streams of finance; keys to blessings over our family; and keys to His kingdom.  We want the same for you!
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Find more info about Pat and Karen Schatzline at www.raisetheremnant.com

Learn about their new book "Rebuilding the Altar" at www.rebuildingthealtar.com