Prophetic Words "The Breakthrough State"

50 State Tour West Virginia Dutch Sheets and Chuck Pierce

WEST VIRGINIA - THE BREAKTHROUGH STATE

I will put my spirit with in you! -Chuck Pierce Seek out the deep wells of the past. We must connect synergistically with the covenantal strength of our forefathers. -Dutch Sheets Prophesy to the bones! The sound comes forth of a new order. -Chuck Prophesy again! We must persevere with revelation, for hope deferred makes the heart sick. -Chuck Prophesy again! Spirits of death that have infiltrated life cycles must be addressed. Things that have never been opened must be opened! This is where we are as a state. -Chuck West Virginia, you are poised for a breakthrough but you must push! You are very close to some wonderful things. -Dutch WORD OVER WEST VIRGINIA ON 9-13-08 West Virginia, the breaker anointing is pounding, pounding, pounding like many waters for breakthrough in this state. You are in the birthing position. And when the delivery comes there will be NO doubt about the Father’s DNA. It will be obvious who the Father is. We speak to three generations – grandfathers, fathers and sons. Those who have scattered will be gathered. The poverty is being broken over the state. Things in government that are corrupt will be exposed. West Virginia, you have been robbed and things have been taken from you. That will stop! What happens in West Virginia will affect the nation!

Open Letter to the WV Church

 Awaken the Dawn Sept 27,28,29--STATEWIDE PRAYER GATHERING

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TheChuchInTheCity/CIR <pray-wv@churchinthecity.com>	11:10 AM (8 hours ago)
to me, ronthaxton

From: Cody & Sarah Frazier

Sent: Wednesday, June 06, 2018 5:30 PM

To: Admin Chop

Subject: Awaken the Dawn Sept 27,28,29--STATEWIDE PRAYER GATHERING

Grace and Peace to you in Jesus name!!

I just wanted to share a letter from our WV State Ambassador, Pastor Jay Morgan,
for this years vision behind Awaken the Dawn.  Awaken the Dawn is a national
worship and prayer movement, and on these three days our whole nation will be
gathering at their capitols for prayer and worship.  We have a vision for
Sept 29th, Saturday to have all 55 counties represented in Charleston at the capitol!  

Please read his message below and pray about being involved.
Also, please email us if you are interested in helping mobilize your county
for the capitol tent, college tents or for the Unity gathering on Saturday!  

Blessings to you all and thank you for praying and being watchmen on the
wall for West Virginia! Sarah Frazier

PS- PLEASE PASS THIS EMAIL TO OTHERS!! 

The WV Church—United 55 Strong in Prayer.

Achieving Unity through Humility. 

September 29, 2018, 12:30pm | WV State Capitol Steps

Whether you agree with their cause or not, there is no denying that WV
captured the attention of the nation and the world as teachers, from every
county, stood together in unity.  Unity is a powerful statement.  Unity
commands attention. Unity shapes history.  

We believe that it is time for the church of WV to come together,
united 55 counties strong, to ask God to heal our land.

This gathering will take place on September 29, 2018, 12:30pm,
on our State Capitol steps.  

On September 27, 28 and 29, 2018, Awaken the Dawn will be mobilizing 
night and day, prayer and worship in every state capital city and on 
hundreds of college campuses across America.  Awaken the Dawn-WV
will have a tent that will host nonstop worship on our State Capitol building
grounds from 6:00 PM Thursday, September 27 to 12:30pm, Saturday, 
September 29.  (For more information on that event, go to
https://www.awakenthedawn.org and for West Virginia specifically go to the
Facebook page: Awaken the Dawn- West Virginia)

On Saturday, September 29, at 12:30pm, we will end this time of 
prayer and worship with a unified prayer gathering that will involve 
Jesus’ Church from every county of our state.  

A Jericho Moment for the WV Church

We believe that is event can be a “Jericho moment” for the WV church.  As we
gather united in humility to pray, we expect walls to fall.  

• Race will not separate us.  WV Christians of every race and ethnicity
  will gather.
• Denomination or doctrinal persuasion will not separate us.  Protestants,
  Catholics, Charismatics, Evangelicals, Pentecostals, Calvinists, Arminians
  and others will all gather. 
• Political parties will not separate us: Democratic Christians,
  Republican Christians, Libertarian Christians, Independent Christians and
  other political persuasions will all gather.
• Economic class will not separate us:  Upper class, middle class, lower class
  (and no class) will gather.
• Age will not separate us:  Christians from every age will gather. 
  We intentionally desire to honor the older generations and empower
  the younger generations through this event.

We believe that the severity of the issues in our state and nation necessitates the
church setting aside our differences for the unifying causes of prayer and humility.
We will focus on the exaltation of Jesus and the principles on which we agree. 

Unifying Principles

• The Lordship of Jesus.  We desire to see Jesus’ worth proclaimed
  to our state and world. We believe there is no other name in Heaven or
  Earth by which man can be saved (Acts 4:12).  
• The Authority of Scripture.  We believe Scripture should direct our belief
  and practice.  We share a desire to pursue the righteousness of God as
  outlined in Scripture. Turning from our wicked ways is a mandate given to
  us by God (2 Chronicles 7:14). 
• Humility.  We will gather in humility before God asking Him to heal our
  land. But we will also gather in humility toward our brothers and sisters—
  preferring others over ourselves (Philippians 2:3).   We will seek unity through
  humility. 

Desired Outcomes for the Event

• Unity:  As already mentioned, unity is a powerful statement.   Unity commands
  attention. Unity shapes history.  God blesses unity in His Church.  Many of us
  have been diligent to seek unity within the Body of Christ in our immediate
  communities.  This gathering will build upon that as we seek unity across the
  entire state of WV, as Jesus’ Church from all 55 counties, gathers in one spot to pray.   
• A Testament to the World:  We believe that an intentional, unified effort, by
  the West Virginia Church from all 55 counties, gathered at one place to pray
  and exalt Jesus,  can be a powerful testimony to an unbelieving world around us. 
  Jesus prayed that His church would be one so that the world would know who He
  is (John 17:23). We believe that something spiritually significant happens when
  Jesus’ Church sets aside its differences for His glory. 
• Relationships: We recognize that an event alone will not bring unity to the body
  of Christ in WV.  However, we expect that the relationships formed leading up to,
  during, and following this gathering will be the foundation for ongoing unity in the
  Church across the state of WV.  We believe that new, ongoing city, county and
  regional initiatives can be cultivated and existing efforts can be nurtured through
  this prayer gathering. 
• Statewide Spiritual Awakening: We believe that revival—the sovereign move
  of God in a community—comes as a direct response to prayer.  We believe that
  it is time for the church of WV to come together, united—55 counties strong—
  to ask God to heal our land. While many of us are already praying for this, we
  recognize the power of a united church coming together in one place, in one mind
  and one accord. 
• A Catalyst:  We pray that this united event in WV will catalyze other states to
  launch intentionally inclusive, state-wide prayer gatherings.  We believe that this
  gathering can serve as a strategic part of God’s plan to bring awakening to our
  state and world.  

What we will do when we gather:

• We will gather with humility before God and toward our brothers and sisters
  to pray and worship.  
• We will have representatives from every county of our state lead some
  element of our prayer time.  
• We will confess to God that working separated from each other is not winning
  the battle against evil in our state, nation and world.  
• We will commit to making every effort to pursue unity and keep the bond of
  peace with each other.  
• We will commit to return to righteousness in our personal lives.
• We will ask God to bring unity to His Church.  
• We will ask God to heal our land.
• We will pray God’s blessing over each county in our state.
• We will pray God’s blessing over each other.  

How you can be involved now:

• Prayer Warriors:  We need you to commit to praying for this gathering
  beginning now!  
  • We need you to pray for the planners and coordinators of this
    gathering. 
  • We need you to pray against any divisive attack of the enemy
    that would hinder this gathering.
  • We need you to pray that leading up to this gathering, bridges
    will be built to all parts of the body of Christ in West Virginia. 
• Mobilizers:  We need you to commit to sharing the vision for this gathering
  and mobilizing people in your county to come to this gathering. 
• Everyone: We need you to commit to praying for the gathering, spreading
  the word about the gathering and coming to the gathering!   

If you desire to help mobilize your church, county or region around
this prayer gathering, please e-mail Jay Morgan at
pastorjaymorgan@gmail.com or Cody and Sarah Frazier
at cryoutwv@gmail.com 

This Is That.... June 20 2018

This Is That!

With the first strum of the guitar the packed room erupted in a thunderous sound of high praise. There was no one voice that stood out among the rest - the rhythmic sound was one of perfect harmony.  

A fresh wind is blowing - the reeds of His chosen instruments are reverberating in response. A new sound is echoing among these hills and hollows. For He who was seated on the throne - our Grand Conductor - said, "I am making everything new!"

This Is That!

The scene was Conference Room B of the Days Inn Conference Center in Flatwoods, WV. The occasion was the 20th Annual PrayWestVirginia Summit - June 20, 2018 - the 155th Birthday of our statehood.

Anticipation had been gathering as clouds in the eastern sky - laden with the rich bounty of “latter rain.”  Many have since reported the expectation they experienced as they neared our gathering place.

We witnessed a mini-Pentecost. When I stood up to speak I felt a bit like Peter when he said, “This is that!”

The “that” is the sound of a wind blowing through the tops of the mulberry trees - the advancing army of the Lord of Hosts.

This Is That!

In 1970 we walked into our pastor’s office and asked if he would give us something to help us understand the Bible. I can so yet distinctly see him turn around and take a small blue book from his shelf and hand it to us. It was a commentary on Paul’s Letter to the Church at Philippi. The following passage leaped from its pages and indelibly inscribed itself in the flesh of our hearts - the stylus none other than the finger of God.

“Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;” Philippians 1:27

The great apostle was saying to this beloved church, “I may never get to visit with you again - to taste of the sweet honey of our fellowship. If I do not this is the sound that I want to reach my yearning ears; the sound of blessed harmony whose notes are capable of spanning great distance.” For they ascend as a lasting testimony of true worship before our Eternal God and are reflected back to earth in the Person of His Own Chosen Preeminent One.

And he never did get to see them again - the ones that he had commended as their father in the Lord: “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” Our hope must be anchored in no other confidence than this - the Father’s pledge to bring to completion that which He has begun.

This Is That!

Our native son, Bishop T.D. Jakes, thundered from the Charleston Civic Center: “A sound will be heard from these hills and hollows that will be heard around the world.”

Now we echo the sentiment of the hymn-writer Augustus Toplady:

"I can only spread the sail;

Thou! Thou! must breathe the auspicious gale."   

And come into agreement with the Baptist preacher Charles Spurgeon: “O for Pentecostal outpourings and Pentecostal labours. Only be sure you have the sail up. Do not miss the gale for want of preparation for it.”

Now we have come down from the Summit - but not to go our own separate ways. We have now been bound together with strong chords of love which can never be broken. Our song is the Song of the Lamb: "Great and marvelous are Your works, O Lord God, the Almighty; Righteous and true are Your ways, King of the nations!”

This Is That!

“in no way alarmed by your opponents-- which is a sign of destruction for them, but of salvation for you, and that too, from God.” Philippians 1:28

You Take Care Of Yourself

“You take care of yourself.”
Ron Thaxton, PrayWV

They were the last words uttered to me by a prominent local pastor in the city where I ministered. As I walked away from the meeting they resonated within my being. I could not help but ask, “Is this another version of Cain’s dialogue. “Am I my brother’s keeper?” Have we been so long in futile religious pursuits that the question remains unanswered? The disciples themselves felt the force as they faced a life-threatening storm. “Master, Don’t you care. We perish.”

There was no carefully disguised faith confession upon their lips. The turbulent storm had been successful in washing it from their mouth. They were in trouble. They were about to lose their ministries, their faith, their lives. Reeling to and fro they soon released all that could not support nor sustain them. The wind of adversity was blowing. The waves of calamity could not be restrained. They knew by circumstantial evidence where they were headed. They were doomed to be swallowed up by yet another wave. Drowned by yet another unrestrained outpouring. They were shaken. They were wavering. They were afraid. They were questioning, “Don’t you care?”

What fate awaits us in the turbulent seas of adversity when leadership boldly declares. “You take care of yourself.”? How can we take a city, hold to a promise, or continue to stand when the words of man contradict the Word of God? Can we continue to hide the subtlety of our real attitudes towards our brothers?

That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. 1 Cor 12:25

Later the same evening while sharing with a group of ministers another hidden attitude was divulged. “We didn’t want you to get the big head.” A hosting minister had received a string of positive feedback regarding both the message and the impact of a meeting where I spoke. She shared the triumph with a visitor who had not been present. As I heard her relay the news, not to me but to another, I questioned. “Why haven’t you told me about that feedback?” God’s words to Abraham rang in my ears.

And I will bless them that bless (congratulate) thee, and curse him that curseth (to be lightly esteemed ) thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. Gen 12:3 

Two chapters later we see this passage being fulfilled. Abram is successful in winning a mighty battle. The King of Sodom approached him lightly, offering only a financial reward. The King of Salem however blessed or congratulated him and brought him bread and wine. The King of Sodom soon lost his position, his life and his city. All because he considered it an insignificant thing which Abram had done? The King of Sodom withheld the blessing. Are we losing our cities because of neglect?

By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted: but it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked. Prov 11:11 

Are we blessing those whom God has blessed?
I could not disconnect myself from the void lack of appreciation had caused. Nor could I ignore the cry of many of those in ministry who suffer from the same plight. My remembrance filled with the words the Lord spoke to me while in Uganda a few years ago. “Poverty is not the absence of money. It is the absence of appreciation.”


How my heart leapt when the words hit me. I knew they were true. Appreciation is the recognition of value. Nothing motivates the heart of a child of God like appreciation. Withhold it and watch the results. The King of Sodom experienced the desolation of his city because of it.

Allow this thought to be the fore-runner of that which follows. A few days later I was in London, England. My heart was heavy over my own failures and a strange mixture of comments such as those above which draped me with a veil of hopelessness. Not only was I faced with caring for myself but I had to encourage and myself as well. I atrophied. Webster’s dictionary gives a fitting snapshot of the scenario, the failure of an organ or part to grow or develop, as because of insufficient nutrition  I was on the verge of giving up because of improper nourishment from the body.

Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another. Rom 14:19 

Then the Lord spoke again. “I can not take a city till I first take the priesthood. It is not my desire to destroy those who are out of the way but to turn them.”

As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel? ……. If the wicked restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, walk in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall not die. Ezl 33:11, 15 

I was reminded of the ranting antics of a convicted heart screamin in rage and shoutin defiantly over the phone while in the US. She was convinced she had been to her prayer closet and was cleared from any responsibility of giving again that which she had robbed. “I’m not in bondage to you because of this money I owe you.”, she boasted. She was so convinced she could get God to change his word to flatter her own ego. I wonder how many walk in the imagination of their own heart refusing to restore the pledge, make good their promises and give back that which was stolen?


I could not escape the conviction in my own heart nor could I ignore the responsibility we have to deliver a word of warning to those who are on the brink of perishing. The Body of Christ is in desperate need of those who will stand up and blow the trumpet.

Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say unto them, When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man of their coasts, and set him for their watchman: If when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet, and warn the people;  Then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. Ez 33:1-4

Ezekiel speaks forth the instructions of God. “When I bring the sword….…” There is no question that he will do it. The remedy which follows ise conditional. It requires the participation of the land. “IF the people of the land take a man of their coasts and set[1] him for their  watchman”.
Ezekiel relays the Father’s strategy for sparing the land and the wicked. Find someone to do what you are not able and or willing to do. Set someone in place to watch for you. These are not self-appointed watchmen but installed watchmen. They are recognized because the people of the land collectively made note of the gifting. It is not a volunteer post nor is it treated with contempt. There must be an awareness with the people that the sword is coming. To avoid it there must be someone in place who has the foresight to see it coming and the boldness to blow the trumpet with clarity.


Have you heard the sword is coming? Have you found a faithful watchman? Have you set them in place and acknowledged they are there to take care for you? Can they continue to care for you when you refuse to care for them? There must be an acceptance of their gifting and payment for their service.


When the tsunami hit a tidal wave of questions surfaced as well? Where was God? Why was there no warning? Well my friend, God was right there pointing out the way and giving instructions in Ezekiel 33. He said I told you to choose a watchman and set them in place so they could warn you. How many people, churches, cities, nations and continents are refusing to walk in this simple life-saving instruction?

Can we take a city we refuse to protect? Can we protect it outside of Godly counsel and instruction? Can our leaders, pastors and churches stand against the sword of God if we refuse to hear and carry out his instructions?

On that day they read in the book of Moses in the audience of the people; and therein was found written, that the Ammonite and the Moabite should not come into the congregation of God for ever; Because they met not the children of Israel with bread and with water, but hired Balaam against them, that he should curse them: howbeit our God turned the curse into a blessing. Neh 13:1,2

If God refused the Ammonites and Moabites entrance into the congregation because of their neglect what will happen to the church if the gift is neglected?  They would not bring the basic daily necessities to his people. What entrance is being blocked to those who choose to withhold? Because they did not bring bread and water…….they could not come into the congregation.
It’s time to take inventory. Are the wages of the laborer being withheld?

Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth. Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter. Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you. Js 5:4-6

How many churches are ignorantly placing themselves in danger because they refuse to bless (encourage, congratulate) their leaders? How many are standing outside the favor of God because they keep back the wages by fraud?


This is a wake up call for every church and church leader. Board of elders. Deacons. Take note of your responsibility in the distribution of funds. Are the labourers (please note this is plural) being compensated? If not hear the Word of the Lord, “the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth.” The sword is coming. Take warning. Give back that which is robbed.

---

Set 5414 יָתַן, יָתַן, נָתַן [nathan /naw·than/] v. A primitive root; TWOT 1443; GK 3851 and 3852 and 5989; 2008 occurrences; AV translates as “give” 1078 times, “put” 191 times, “deliver” 174 times, “made” 107 times, “set” 99 times, “up” 26 times, “lay” 22 times, “grant” 21 times, “suffer” 18 times, “yield” 15 times, “bring” 15 times, “cause” 13 times, “utter” 12 times, “laid” 11 times, “send” 11 times, “recompense” 11 times, “appoint” 10 times, “shew” seven times, and translated miscellaneously 167 times. 1 to give, put, set. 1a (Qal). 1a1 to give, bestow, grant, permit, ascribe, employ, devote, consecrate, dedicate, pay wages, sell, exchange, lend, commit, entrust, give over, deliver up, yield produce, occasion, produce, requite to, report, mention, utter, stretch out, extend. 1a2 to put, set, put on, put upon, set, appoint, assign, designate. 1a3 to make, constitute. 1/30/05

Covenant With God - Covenant With Each Other

“CHURCH IN THE CITY” COVENANT WITH GOD

                                          Camp Virgil Tate - Charleston, West Virginia

                                                   28 September 1999 - 0300 Hours

                                                                 City Pastors-Leaders

                                                                             

            “Lord God, while acknowledging our humble dependency upon Your sovereignty, we covenant together with You to promote the glory, honor, and fame of the Lord Jesus Christ in the Greater Charleston area . . . through united worship and prayer, the ministry of reconciliation, relational accountability, and local church cooperation–unto the end that we experience community transformation by the power of Your Spirit.

            “As leaders, we covenant to honor, bless and esteem one another as better than ourselves . . . .  To stand firm in one spirit, with one mind, striving together for the faith of the gospel; in the spirit of Love (Phil. 2:3, 1:27; 1 Cor. 13).  In Jesus Name, Amen!”

 

THE RIVER OF FIRE

God’s Redemptive Purposes For The Kanawha Valley Region

"Then the LORD will create over all of Mount Zion and over those who assemble here a cloud of smoke by day and a glow of flaming fire by night: over all the glory will be a canopy"Isaiah 4:5

In 1835 a young Cincinnati watchmaker was experimenting with a hot-air balloon–the first west of the Allegheny Mountains. One early Spring afternoon he was practicing his ascents and descents when the balloon suddenly slipped its moorings and the prevailing winds began to carry him eastward. 

While continuing his drift toward the east shortly after midnight he passed through a cloud of smoke and when he glanced toward earth he saw a river valley alight with fire and he knew he was passing over the salt works industry of the Great Kanawha River Valley in the vicinity of what was then Charleston, Virginia.

As we prayed, January 2, in our Pastors’ Prayer Fellowship and particularly for the three days of prayer and fasting on January 7-10, 2001 a picture continued to come up about our area being ablaze with the passionate fires of God’s love. 

I was immediately reminded of the above account which I had read within the past couple of days in a book I had received as a Christmas present. -Annals of The Great Kanawha by William D. Wintz.

In preparation for this 72 hours of consecration and supplication we are desirous of discovering God’s redemptive purpose for the people of our community. 

The greater Charleston, West Virginia region is bisected by a river and has come to be known as the Great Kanawha River Valley. The first white settlers to come to this region and to bring the gospel message came because of the abundance of salt. 

There was no indigenous Native American presence at that time, this area being used by them for a hunting ground and not a place of permanent residence. However, as a result of their desire to preserve their hunting lands many of the early white settlers and the natives lost their lives in the struggle.

Salt had been discovered on the surface of the land where it had erupted from the earth below in the form of springs. The saltwater sometimes leaked into the river itself in such quantities that it caused a fish kill. Some have said that the Indians named the river the River of Death because of this, but Kanawha actually means "white stone" from the encrusted salt on the banks of the river. 

It does make one think of the white stone of Revelation 2:17, "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it." The white stone in the days of the New Testament signified "not guilty" or life when a verdict was returned whereas a black stone meant "guilty" or death.

It has been said that what God plans to do in the spiritual He first reveals in the natural (1 Cor. 15:46). Using this premise as a key we might unlock the secret of God’s redemptive purposes for our region which seem to be two-fold.

           The River of Fire

The first is the river of fire. As our young balloonist of the early 19^th Century passed over the Kanawha River Valley he saw the fires under the evaporating kettles, but often there was another phenomena at work that made the river itself seem to be ablaze. 

The salt-laden water was brought to the surface via deep drilled wells and then piped to the kettles where the water was evaporated away leaving only the salt. 

A byproduct of the drilling could also be natural gas and petroleum. The natural gas was allowed to escape into the air until it was later captured and used to fuel the fires of the salt works. The petroleum for which they could find no usable purpose was bled into the river. At times the petroleum would catch fire on the surface of the river and make the stream appear to be a river of fire. 

There is a community in that area today called Burning Springs so named because the water, gas and oil came forth from the ground together and could be ignited. It was said that anything tossed into the flame was hungrily consumed and the fire was very difficult to extinguish. (Hebrews 12:29* ...for our God is a consuming fire.")

In the spiritual we believe this speaks to us of God’s passionate purifying zeal for His people and as we attract His white hot gaze by consecration and supplication we too will be set ablaze with our passionate desire for Him and the fulfillment of His purposes. 

In the Hebrew Scriptures God is often referred to as "El Qanah" (early spelling of Kanawha - Canawagh or Canhawa) or "I am a jealous God." The following scripture takes the meaning of this word one step further, 

Exodus 34:14 "...for you must not worship any other god, because the Lord, whose name is Impassioned, is an impassioned God" (Tanakh, The Holy Scriptures). Also, Deuteronomy 4:24 "For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, an impassioned God" (also the Tanakh). W.E. Vine says, 

"While the word is used in our language in an evil sense, it has a somewhat different meaning, especially in the Old Testament. It is often used in connection with the marriage relation, and, in this respect, the relation between Jehovah and Israel. Just as jealousy in husband or wife is the forceful assertion of an exclusive right, so God asserts His claim, and vindicates it, on those who are His sole possession."

We see this holy passion so adequately revealed in Jesus’ lament over the city of Jerusalem, (Luke 19:41-42) As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, "If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace -- but now it is hidden from your eyes." This is something that we have longed for in our Pastors’ Prayer Fellowship, but have known that we could not make it happen. This past Tuesday we began to see for the first time this holy desperation for citywide transformation begin to express itself through the anguish of weeping.

          The Salt of the Earth

The other facet of His redemptive purpose is seen in the salt itself. At the peak of production the yield would be 500,000 barrels of salt in one year or 2,500 to 3,000 bushels a day. From a booklet published by one of the leading chemical companies of our area that has grown out of the salt industry, "It may rightfully be said that there is scarcely a home in America which does not bear evidence in some manner of what has grown out of ingenious man’s accomplishments in the Magic Valley of West Virginia." Matthew 5:13a, 

"You are the salt of the earth."

As a result of the purifying fire of His impassioned love may we become salt to the nations–causing men and women to thirst after the Living God. As our hand is extended to lost and yearning humanity may they find in it a white stone that says, "Not guilty! Your sins are forgiven, go and sin no more."

Ron Thaxton,
Church in the City