Ian & Jocelyn Barker

I (Jocelyn) woke up from a dream last night about abortion and the Obamas (and I honestly have not been praying about the election or abortion in the way that I should; I was not even thinking about any of this the day before).

I was on their campaign bus and Michelle Obama had just found out that she was pregnant. She was telling Barack that she wanted to keep this baby, but he wanted her to get an abortion. I had the impression while “observing” that it was a real miracle and a surprise that she got pregnant.

She then took a microphone and began preaching about life to her husband and a couple of others who were in the bus. I don’t remember exactly what she said, but it was powerful, anointed and all about life. It somehow leaked out to the media and they were all over it. It caused a profound change in sentiment about Barack and drew attention to his pro-abortion stance.

I then woke up and don’t know how it all “ended,” but I was stirred to pray for Michelle Obama and that she would become a voice for life. I also knew that the dream pertained to before the election. Who knows if abortion has yet to be the deciding factor?

I had a conversation at IHOP with my Prayer Room team this morning, and we were discussing the current state of our nation. We all agreed that there are very hard times ahead for America. America will be shaken in every area of society, and we will face real persecution in America as Christians. At the same time, there will be an outpouring of God’s Spirit to transform His Church into a Bride made ready. I don’t have a timetable for this, but that’s not the point.

As we were talking about the hardships that are ahead for our nation, I must confess that I was scared and frightened. But then I realized that the reason that God allows economic crisis and persecution is to shake His Church free from all dependence on the systems of the world.

In the days ahead, sincere believers will be set free from their trust in all worldly things. In times of prosperity, like I have experienced all of my life, it is easy to dismiss or be ignorant of all the ways I have submitted to worldly systems and ways. The only way for God to expose this is for Him to increase the pressure so that unrighteousness in me is exposed.

The way that God purified believers in the early Church was to allow persecution in their lives. The New Testament writers encouraged believers to rejoice in enduring sufferings because it was causing them to become more like Christ. Paul wrote to the Thessalonians,

“…we ourselves speak proudly of you among the churches of God for your perseverance and faith in the midst of all your persecutions and afflictions which you endure. This is a plain indication of God’s righteous judgment so that you will be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which indeed you are suffering.” (2 Thess. 1:4-5)

Yes, I am nervous about facing the days ahead. But I can take courage and hope in the reality that God will be with me and make me more like Him. I am not ashamed of the gospel and this is my only hope. I must place my eyes on the things above and remember that He is coming to make all things right.

I must admit that the current financial situation in America has me a bit worried. This only goes to show that I don’t trust in God like I think I do, and I am dependent on my own comfort and security.

For the record, I don’t think that this economic crisis will turn into another Great Depression. But that’s not the point. The point is that God is shaking this nation a little bit to show that we are fragile and utterly in need of depending upon Him. We have worshipped wealth and felt entitled to a “good life.”

I want my life and my message to be built on the idea that Jesus is returning soon, and that God will shake all that can be shaken to prepare His Church and expose the wicked ways of the wicked to the wicked. Now that there is a tremor of this shaking, I’m worrying about me.

However, while I worry about money, how long the comforts I enjoy will last, and what sort of world my kids will grow up in, I am learning to rejoice.

I am rejoicing because God is a God of mercy and judgement. When His judgments break in upon a nation, the people learn righteousness and sin is exposed. When I feel the pressure financially, I know that I am being given an opportunity to trust in Him. When I’m tempted to believe that God is severe in His judgments, I realize that the problem of sin is severe and God is merciful for exposing it. His judgments is an expression of His mercy, and His mercy is to judge.

The end goal of God’s judgments is to produce righteousness in me by exposing sin as sin. He is like a surgeon who will not let cancer keep growing but will cut it out. He will use the least severe means to produce the greatest amount of love in me.

Though I worry today, I know that He is a perfect leader who will always lead me in paths of righteousness. I can trust in Him because He has promised to always be with me.

I’m reflecting today on the abnormality of God’s kingship over humanity. In the midst of the elections, it’s easy to get a little optimistic about the goodness and benevolence of earthly governmental leaders. Yet this is simply not the case.

It’s hard to imagine the President of America coming out from the White House while in power, and getting a job as a construction worker. It’s hard to imagine Barack Obama or John McCain becoming elected by the people, and then voluntarily leaving the comforts of the White House to become a homeless one meeting the people on the streets. It’s hard to imagine one leaving a place of authority, power and prestige, for one of powerlessness, scorn, and mockery. It’s hard to imagine one voluntarily subjecting himself to suffering and death at the hands of the very ones he is intending to help.

It’s hard to imagine, of course, because the President would not have any authority outside of the White House. He would be impeached and the American people would elect another President. It’s also hard to imagine because what would a President do when wandering the streets? Preaching? What would he preach? I’m not looking down on the President, but I’m simply highlighting the beauty of Jesus.

He is a King. The King in fact. Government and kingship were not an idea that man had and God consented to. He has always been a King, and He has always had a Kingdom. While He lived in a place of glory, comfort, authority, power, understanding, beauty, love, and peace, He voluntarily became a man living a life of dishonor, discomfort; stripped of all obvious authority; walking in a world of darkness, hurt, war and discord. Instead of being adored by the masses of the heavens, He was misunderstood as being a mad man. Instead of having complete authority, He only did what He saw His Father doing, and did strange things like preaching, telling parables, spitting in mud, and dying on a cross.

This King is unlike any other king. We don’t like authority and government because we have never met this One before. We’ve never let Him lead us. We’ve never let Him say what it is good and what is evil. We’ve settled for fallen men as are rulers. Men with no discernment. Again, this isn’t about anarchy, but about loving Jesus.

He is the only One worthy. He is the only wise One. He is the only One who truly cares for and understands our needs. He is the only One who can bring justice and change. He can solve our economic crisis. He can heal our oceans. He can save our babies and find homes for the homeless. He can heal the mentally and physically sick. Sarah Palin, God bless her, can’t. Barack Obama, as sincere as I find him to be, can’t. John McCain can’t, though he has suffered for his country. Only Jesus can. Yes, He can.

Lou Engle has called a 40 day time of prayer and fasting for California that will culminate on November 1st with TheCall San Diego. Join in these 40 days by praying for God to visit California with His Spirit and a great awakening that would stun the nation.

“From the rising of the sun to its setting the name of the LORD is to be praised.” (Ps. 113:3)

Yesterday was IHOP’s 9th year anniversary of 24/7 worship and prayer. What a remarkable gift of the Lord to give us a place where the name of the Lord is worshipped day and night, and where petitions go up before His holy throne.

We cannot fully understand and grasp the power of worship and intercession; but I know that the weak words of petition and praise that have come forth from this house for the last 9 years have touched God’s heart. Not only that, but they are helping to bring forth God’s purposes in the earth. Lord willing, it will not cease before He comes to take it to a whole other level!

Jocelyn and I are both pro-life and believe that the fact that it is legal in America to murder a baby is a travesty that only deserves the judgment of God. Israel was judged through the pagan and military nation of Babylon because 1) they worshipped other gods, 2) they oppressed the poor, and 3) they sacrificed their babies (Jer. 7:6). You get the picture.

So we have been intrigued, to say the least, to see the rise of Sarah Palin and the subsequent controversy over her nomination. I must say that I believe we are seeing a partial fulfillment of the prayers of the saints who have been asking God to end abortion in this nation. I understand that Sarah Palin is not going to end abortion by herself, nor do we believe that the overturning of Roe vs. Wade would be the final victory. However, I do believe that it is a massive statement from the heart of God of how much zeal He has to establish righteousness (in part) in this nation. We have come to a point of decision. As Elijah said,

“How long will you hesitate between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” (1 Kings 18:21)

While some object that Palin was a bad political choice, what America needs to understand is that we are not in control of our foreign policy and economy. Sure, God gives wisdom to man in order to govern a country well, but ultimately, if we persist in rebelling against Him as the Creator of life and the only God to be worshipped, then He will judge. When Israel continued to rebel against His ways, He sent a wicked nation to send them into exile. Not only that, but He would withhold rain until the people turned to God. The healing of creation is directly linked to the healing of the relationship between the people and God.

The presence of Sarah Palin in these elections is God’s invitation for America to turn. On one hand, we have a man who would have his daughters abort their baby if they got pregnant because he wouldn’t want them “punished” for their mistake. On the other, we have Sarah Palin who considers her daughter’s baby conceived out of a wedlock to be a blessing. Not only that, but she considers her down’s syndrome baby boy to a gift.

What a statement of God’s desire for life and family! I have prayed multiple times that God would thunder from heaven of His desire to see life valued in this nation and for the orphan to be set into families. Sarah Palin’s life is a massive thunder clap. Yes, He is zealous that we choose life. Yes, He isn’t all that concerned that Palin is “inexperienced.” Yes, turning to God is the only way that America will move forward.

Let me say that Sarah Palin in herself is not the answer to America’s problems. God is. Nor is the American government to be the “light of the world.” The Church is. But America needs time to repent and the overturning of Roe vs. Wade might just withhold judgment for a time so that America could see the great awakening that we so desperately need. He is giving us a window of mercy, but we need to choose life.

Here at IHOP-KC, we believe that God is raising up a prayer and worship movement, and that it is the end of the age. It is clear, for anyone who is watching, that the prayer and worship movement is growing as houses of prayer, in whatever form, are being started completely independent of one another and outside of any network or organization. Case in point, IHOP-KC and 24/7 Prayer started on the same day without even knowing it. It must be said that the “movement” I speak of is not limited to houses of prayer or ministries. It has to do with God’s desire to have His “house” be “a house of prayer” (Matthew 21:13).

But why is this happening, and what does this have to do with the end of the age?

The prophet Isaiah writes,

“The proud look of man will be abased and the loftiness of man will be humbled, and the LORD alone will be exalted in that day.” (Isaiah 2:11)

As we look across the earth today, we only see slivers and pockets of the exaltation of God. Man is largely in direct rebellion against God and act in the haughtiness of their own opinions. A small remnant of humanity gives Him the praise that is due. But this will change. God has sworn that He will receive all the glory that is due to His name.

“I am the LORD, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another, nor My praise to graven images.” (Isaiah 42:8)

He will soon arise and shake all that can be shaken because He is zealous for His glory to be known, and He is jealous for the worship and love of the human heart. As we witness the rise of the worship and prayer movement across the earth, we can be confident that we are approaching the hour when God will bring the lofty low and exalt His name before all nations.

As we draw near to the climatic event of the joining together of heaven and earth, we can see that the worship that is happening continuously around the throne in heaven is being joined with worship on the earth. At the end of the age, the Spirit of God is stirring a desire to worship Him in the heart of His bride.

The prayer and worship movement is not primarily about intercession for revival and the fixing of the world’s problems. We need to pray for revival, but intercession devoid worship will lead to discouragement and burn-out. The primary reason we are to engage in corporate prayer and worship is because He has forever been worthy of incessant adoration. We are to join in the worship that has been happening day and night forever (Rev. 4:8).

Out of the Father’s zeal for His glory to be known on the earth, He sent His only Son. As His Son went low, He purposed that His Son would be vindicated and exalted above every other name. Jesus came as the enfleshment of Yahweh to receive the worship of Yahweh. God’s zeal for His own glory and His desire to vindicate the Servant have joined together in the exaltation of Jesus above every other name (Phil. 2:5-11).

Zeal for His name and His house have “consumed” Him (John 2:17). As this age comes to a climax, He is moving across the nations searching for hearts who will worship Him in Spirit and in truth (John 4:24). He is longing that His Son would be glorified, and His own name be properly honored. By giving ourselves to worship and prayer in whatever form, we agree with His heart and join with the song that has been sung in heaven since the beginning of creation.

Mike & Jill (Jocelyn’s sister and brother-in-law) are now the proud parents of Sova. Isn’t she adorable? Be sure to read the story…

It’s always nice to be able to sleep in a little on Saturday morning. Even better is to get up, make coffee, and get online to read the news. I’ll probably go for a run here in a little bit. Later, Jocelyn and I will probably go to a coffee shop to read and study. She started back at school this week and she has some tough classes. Pray for her because she handed in her application for the Nursing Program she wants to get into. Hopefully we find out soon.

We’re going out with some friends for dinner tonight. For the past two year, excluding this year, I have gone backpacking in Colorado with three of my friends. We skipped this year for time and money reasons, but we want to get together to plan a big trip for next year. So we’re making it a couple affair which will be fun.

Jocelyn’s sister, Jill, and her husband, Mike, are in India right now as they go to pick up their adopted little girl, Sova. It’s a pretty amazing story of how quickly they were able to get her and we are so excited for them. You can follow along on their journey at their blog.

Speaking of adoption, our friends from Cincinnatti, Scott and Caroline, are adopting a boy who hasn’t been born yet! They are planning a fundraiser and you can read their story, and donate, at their blog. So many adoptions! It has only just begun, my friends.

I feel like I have a lot to write about, but it’s all so fragmented. One thing I really need to write about is my anger towards those who use Matthew 25 (“the least of these”) as a piece of campaign propaganda to say that caring for the poor was Jesus’ commandment to us, and for those in the church who go along with it. I’m all for caring for the poor, but…

Till next time.