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Scourge: a source of widespread dreadful affliction and devastation such as that caused by pestilence or war. Source: thefreedictionary.com.

Washington DC has been declared a disaster area.

Thursday’s Supreme Court verdict upheld the constitutionality of Obamacare. Included in the legislation is the largest expansion of abortion since Roe v Wade–funded by the government. No conscientious objectors, no matter your beliefs.

A day after the Supreme Court verdict, a severe storm ripped through the region, leaving more than a million people without power. Despite record-breaking heat, hail was actually part of this storm. Jolene and I backed into a corner as hurricane-force winds with horizontal rain pummelled the windows of our apartment. The lights flickered out, giving way to stroboscopic bursts of continual lightning.

Warning: Change Course!
As a former photojournalist, I’ve been in storms before. Front and center, when everyone else was fleeing. But not like this one. And it seemed to come out of nowhere. My question is, why?

My answer is, storm warning.

I personally believe this sudden storm was a proverbial shot across the bow of the ship America. Are we provoking God with our choices instead of leaning into His mercy and repenting?

“Because you say, we have made a covenant with death, and with Sheol we have made a pact, the overwhelming scourge (widespread affliction and devastation) will not reach us when it passes by… 

I will make justice the measuring line, and righteousness the level; then hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the secret place. And your covenant with death shall be cancelled, and your pact with Sheol shall not stand. When the overwhelming scourge passes through, then you will become its trampling place” (Isaiah 28:14-18).

To repent means to change course. Given our current course–are we headed directly into the very hurricane we all hoped to avoid? Are we headed for shipwreck? Look at the times. Moral decay is now celebrated–and governmentally empowered. Our economy is on the precipice of shipwreck, nationally and globally. Iran has just declared that war is unavoidable. If there’s ever a time we want to be rightly aligned with the Lord Jesus Christ, it is now!

Dire Straits
In early May the Holy Spirit spoke to us about a “World War Watch” from 5-8 through 8-5. The Lord highlighted Tisha b’Av as a time when the enemy would attempt to perpetuate generational tragedy in our time. We felt both Israel and America were being targeted for this.

Jews apply the imagery of a shipwreck to mourn the societal tragedies that befell them through generations around the 9th of Av (July 28 this year). The three week period ending on 9 Av is known as “Dire Straits.” Dire straits is a nautical term used to describe dangerous passageways to navigate through–passageways that often led to shipwreck. 

The Three Weeks (of Dire Straits) are historically a time of misfortune, since many tragedies and calamities befell the Jewish people at this time. These tragedies include: the breaking of the Tablets of the Law by Moses, when he saw the people worshipping the golden calf; the burning of a Sefer Torah by Apostomus during the Second Temple era; the destruction of both Temples on Tisha B’Av; the expulsion of the Jews from Spain on Tisha B’Av 1492; AND THE OUTBREAK OF WORLD WAR I (emphasis mine). Source: Wikipedia. 

Announcing the Dire Straits Prayer Project
From July 4-August 5, we feel to host a “Dire Straits Prayer Project,” with a focus on intercession to avert–or at least lessen–potential tragedy for both America and Israel. Mercy will be our continual cry!

Will there be discipline for those who have ignored God’s clear and heartbreaking pleas? No doubt. But before you extend a finger of accusation, lets remember we are all in this ship together. 

Finally, lets remember the prophetic focus for 2012 that “the enemy would try to x us out, but God desires to establish His Bridal Canopy over us.” There is much to share here in the coming days.

On a Personal Note
Jolene and I just returned from a two-week tour in Vermont and Lowville NY, where we believe God just fully uncapped a historic well of Holy Spirit awakening. More on this later as well. But by this well, the Lord spoke to Jolene that we were needed in Washington DC for all of July and August. He literally spoke to her, “World War Watch–and I mean it!”

Once again we have cleared our schedule for intercession here during this time. We are fully trusting God to provide as we again lay down our traveling schedule. Please prayerfully consider a donation to Lamplighter during this time!

It is an honor to stand with you and for you as we make it through these dire straits! Covenant blessings,

Jon & Jolene

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