I heard the Lord speak to me and say, “Tell My people to put on their dancing shoes.” My first reaction was to chuckle at His words, for the one thing I don’t do is dance. In fact, it would be painful for others to have to watch me. Afterward, I’m sure I’d have to lay hands on those folks and pray for their inner healing. But knowing it was His voice, I quickly partnered with His declaration, saying, “Yes, Lord, I will tell Your people to put on their dancing shoes, and I will put on mine. I thank You that You have prepared a victory that will cause us, Your people, to celebrate and worship.”
The Lord brought to my remembrance that just a few hours before, while in prayer, I had asked the Holy Spirit, “What excites You? I want to know You. I want to know what You love, what you hate and what grieves You.” He showed me that He had answered my prayer. Moreover, He said to me, “I love to see My children dancing.” As I pondered His words, I questioned Him again, “Why do You love to see Your children dancing?” He said, “It is evidence of My turnaround.”
Then the following Scripture came to me:
Jim Garlow has been at the tip of the spear in culture wars for as long as I’ve known him. In case you didn’t know, he is the former pastor of Skyline Church, a megachurch in suburban San Diego, and is a celebrated author, communicator, commentator and historian.
Garlow is also is the Founder and CEO of Well Versed, a ministry to members of Congress, ambassadors and other elected officials at the United Nations in New York City, and he brings biblical principles of governance to government leaders.
He was one of the main pastors in California who, in 2008, helped pass a state constitutional amendment that said only a marriage between a man and a woman is recognized in the state of California. Many doubted that bill would ever pass in such a liberal state, but it did, with Garlow’s help.
As we know, Satan has established an evil spiritual kingdom as a rival to God’s kingdom. He rules over fallen angels and demonic spirits and incites them to seek to establish footholds in our minds and hearts.
Here are three common satanic traps we need to both discern and avoid:
1. Disguises and masquerade parties. Falseness and deceit are part of the fallen human condition. Scripture warns us against status-seeking people within the church who claim to be more anointed and righteous than they really are. These people masquerade as men and women of strength and integrity, but if you scratch the surface, they are nothing like that.
In 2001, I gave a prophetic word about the end of Roe v. Wade and how we should set our expectations in the years to come concerning this hot-button cultural issue. This topic has created more division than any other in recent memory, including in the church.
Also in 2001, I had an encounter where I saw a young teenage girl in her bedroom crying out to God for significance. She knew she had a sister that died from an abortion, and she saw this sister in heaven before the throne.
Then I saw the masses of human beings who had been aborted since Roe v. Wade. They were crying out before Jesus for justice. I realized that some would have been inventors, some would have been medical scientists—perhaps having the cure for cancer—and some would have been like Billy Graham, but their purposes were cut short.
Transgender swimmer Lia Thomas dominated headlines this week when the NCAA released its nominations for “Woman of the Year” in sports on July 18. The trans community and political progressives cheered, while many Americans were outraged that a person who was considered a male three years ago is now winning competitions for the University of Pennsylvania’s women’s swim team.
Riley Gaines, a female swimmer from Kentucky who was also nominated for the prize, called the nomination of Lia Thomas “yet another slap in the face to women.” Maggie Bowen, a retired championship swimmer for Auburn University, decried the NCAA’s decision by saying: “They are more impressed with a male-bodied athlete competing and beating females in their sport. I personally don’t find that very impressive.”
Tennis star Martina Navratilova was even more blunt when she tweeted to the NCAA: “What is wrong with you?!!!!?”
