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“That we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom.”
This quote from the Gettysburg Address, cited in the article below by Jason Hubbard, is our word and focus for 2013. God does not want our nation to perish, but to see a new birth of freedom through covenant with Jesus Christ!
The following chronicle of God’s visitation has guided me ever since Jason Hubbard privately shared it a few years ago. I consider it a great honor to share with you “the Keys of Lincoln,” by my good friend and director of the Light of the World Prayer Center in Bellingham WA.
KEYS OF LINCOLN—BY JASON HUBBARD
In this critical hour in the history of America, I believe the Lord wants the church to learn a few lessons from the life of Abraham Lincoln. I believe God deposited into the legacy of America important keys from Lincoln, to usher in the dawning of a new day!
About a decade ago, I experienced a visitation from the Lord. I fell asleep one afternoon and I remember standing on the sea of glass like crystal. It looked like awesome sapphire-blue pavement mingled with flaming fire. An angel approached me and I noticed that Abraham Lincoln (he may have been symbolic in the dream) was walking beside him.
I shook his hand and then heard the voice of the Lord from behind the angel say, “There is a civil war in my church. The revelation of the beauty of my Son will bring my church into unity!” I immediately awoke from my sleep.
God gave unmistakable and immediate confirmation of this experience. When I awoke, almost immediately my 3 year-old daughter handed me a gift she had made, “Daddy, Jesus told me to give this to you.” It was a penny, with two blue sapphire stickers on the front and back. The penny, of course, is engraved with a portrait of Abraham Lincoln.
Since this time I have been praying for the beauty of Jesus to be released in unprecedented power to unify His church. Back in 2008, I heard a phrase from the Lord, “Keys of Lincoln.” I want to address what I believe to be the two most important keys that Lincoln used to open up doors of blessing to America. The first key was Humility. The second was his desire for Union.
The Key of Humility
Lincoln’s heart to abolish slavery and embrace the African American community was rooted in his humility. At the heart of racism is pride. Racism is judging others by the externals, which is the ultimate form of pride. As CJ Mahaney writes, “Pride is when sinful human beings aspire to the status and position of God and refuse to acknowledge their dependence on Him. Humility on the other hand is honestly assessing ourselves in light of God’s holiness and our sinfulness.”
Proverbs 16:18 (ESV) says, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” As James 4:6 says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” We are in desperate need of the grace of God in America today.
Spiritual Racism
Though we can point the finger in many directions here, we need to first look at ourselves. I believe there is a subtle pride between different streams, traditions and denominations in the body of Christ. This is spiritual racism, and has resulted in a spiritual ‘civil war’ in the church. Many of us have fallen into the trap of thinking that we are better or more anointed than our other brothers and sisters in the body of Christ (I am speaking here of biblically-based churches) because of doctrinal purity, worship styles, or biblical tradition.
Whenever we judge or criticize in an ungodly manner it exposes the pride in our hearts. I believe it is time for us to do away with the pointing of the finger (Isa. 58:9) and learn to honor one another above ourselves. As we humble ourselves in the body of Christ, GREAT GRACE will be released upon us. We need to ask God to bring down the spirit of racism in the body of Christ and learn to love one another!
The Cross is the KEY
This doesn’t mean losing our denominational distinctions, but rather developing a culture of honor that would please the Lord! As Isaiah 66:2 (NIV) says, “This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word.” The Cross of Christ is the greatest Key to deal with our pride. The cross destroys our pride by creating a dependency on the Savior. The deeper the work of the cross in us, the more humble we will become, and the more secure in His Love.
Lincoln walked in humility and deposited this key to us, stating, “It behooves us then to humble ourselves before the offended Power, to confess our national sins and to pray for clemency and forgiveness…that the united cry of a nation will be heard on high and answered with blessing no less than the pardon of our national sins and the restoration of our now divided and suffering county to it former happy condition of unity and peace.”
The Key of Union
The second key of Lincoln was his desire for Union. His vision for America to be One nation under God was truly inspiring. Lincoln understood that a house divided could not stand. I believe this is true both for the church as well as our nation. Lincoln would fight to save the Union, no matter the cost. Lincoln had to wage a civil war to ultimately preserve the union.
We must have this same resolve in the body of Christ today! We are asking for a new birth of freedom both in the church and in our nation! The Presence and Power of God increases in our lives, in our churches, and in our nation when we walk in harmony with one another in Christ Jesus. Union is the place of God’s commanded blessings as Psalm 133 says, “Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity…For there the Lord has commanded the blessing, life forevermore.”
Key: The Scars and Stripes
One of the primary strategies to bring unity to the body of Christ is the unveiling of the beauty of Jesus. I believe America needs a piercing revelation of the Lamb! Jesus said in John 12:32-33 (ESV), “ ‘And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.’ He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die.” As the Lord said, the revelation of the beauty of my Son will bring my church into unity!
The Flag in America that needs to fly is not the Stars and Stripes, but rather the “Scars and Stripes” of the Worthy Lamb! When we behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, out of his side wound will flow forth a River of Revival! The Crimson Blood of the Lamb will wash away our sins and make us white as snow! I believe the revelation of the Glory of the Lamb, and the cross of Christ will release the Keys of Lincoln, ‘Humility, and Unity.’
As the body of Christ is humbled under the power of the Cross, the doors of God’s Grace(Humility) and Commanded Blessing(Union) will fall upon us again in America!
The Sacrifice for our Freedom
As the author and finisher of our faith, by His Stripes Jesus is healing our history. Engraved in stone in the Lincoln Memorial is a quote from the Gettysburg Address. “That we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom.” Really, that’s what Jesus alone has given us—engraved in the palm of His hands is our new birth of freedom!
May this be our RESOLVE and let that be our KINGDOM CRY in this hour, that the Lamb would receive the due reward of his sufferings, that we would see a new birth of freedom released in the church and in our nation! Let’s join with the prayers of previous generations, move the chain forward and be a resource for the future!
