God is dismantling and displacing regional strongholds (including witchcraft/Jezebel, idolatry/Baal, and religion/Pharisee) by tearing down idols that have been established by counterfeit covenants.
A few months ago, on May 9, 2023, I was praying for revival in my city, Wilmington, California. As I shared in a previous post, I felt like the Lord gave me two phrases from Scripture to declare over my region: “Mercy triumphs over judgment” (James 2:13) and ”His blood speaks a better word" (Hebrews 12:24).
I asked the Lord, “Why those two verses?” He took me to Acts 9, which is the story of Saul, the Pharisee — a man who is out doing his own thing, thinking it’s the right thing, and making a mess of things. A man who is the epitome of how the demonic works.
Saul, with letters of authorization over cities, is literally shedding the blood of innocent people in the name of his cause. He is a man who is deeply lost and spiritually blind… just like so many in my city… just like so many in your city. In fact, without the Lord, all of us would be just like Saul in some way. We would all be, and probably have been at some point, bound in spiritual blindness.
But on the road to Damascus, Saul radically encounters Jesus. He sees the Light and hears the Voice and everything changes. Following this experience, Saul finds himself physically blind. It’s as if his internal spiritual condition gets turned inside out and now his natural eyes can’t see either.
So what does God do? After three days, He sends Ananias (a follower of Jesus) to Saul… and here’s the answer to my question:
The name “Ananias” means MERCY. Out of all the things God could have sent to Saul, He sends His mercy! When Saul encounters God’s mercy, scales fall from his eyes and his sight, both physically and spiritually, is restored! If you keep digging into the Greek word for “mercy,” you’ll find it means “loyalty to God’s covenant.” What purchased and sealed that covenant — the BLOOD. His blood that speaks a better word!
Hebrews 12:24 AMPC
“And to Jesus, the Mediator (Go-between, Agent) of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood which speaks [of mercy], a better and nobler and more gracious message than the blood of Abel [which cried out for vengeance].”
What defeats witchcraft? What dismantles idolatry? What displaces religion? The BLOOD that speaks a better word!
What breaks the cycle of sin, violence, and darkness? What restores spiritual sight? The BLOOD that speaks a better word! And it’s a word of MERCY! The mercy of God that triumphs over judgment!
The word “better” in the Greek means to “plant down God’s flag of victory”! It’s time to partner with the Lord and plant His flag of victory in our cities. But what does that look like? How do we plant a flag in the spirit?
I believe the Lord gave me a clear example through a recent experience in my own city, Wilmington. My prayer is that this story will be a prophetic picture, serving as a springboard for you to partner with the Lord in similar ways for your own city.
Here’s a little context: Wilmington, spanning 9.14 square miles, is located between San Pedro and Long Beach about 20 miles south of downtown Los Angeles. Our neighborhood is little-known, yet highly-influential, as the Port of Los Angeles finds its home within our borders.
Towards the end of September, my friend and I were on a prayer walk through the Wilmington Waterfront Park, which overlooks the port. While walking, we passed a monument entitled, "First Blood." I had never seen it before, so I paused to read the inscription on the plaque. To summarize the historical backstory:
In the 1930s, working conditions at the port were less-than desirable. It was hard, dangerous work for little pay. Beginning on May 9, 1934, longshoremen from California, Oregon, and Washington walked out and the West Coast waterfront strike began. A few days later on May 15th, fighting broke out in the Wilmington / San Pedro area, resulting in the tragic death of two longshoremen. The strike lasted 83 days during which nine people lost their lives. The "First Blood" monument commemorates the struggle and bloodshed of these early longshoremen that eventually lead to unionization of all of the West Coast ports of the United States.
I believe those who died in this struggle should be remembered and honored for their ultimate sacrifice. Their memory should not be disrespected. What they did paved the way for future generations to benefit greatly.
However, while we are grateful for the sacrifices of those who have gone before us… there is only ONE sacrifice that can save us! Man’s blood can’t save us. Only the blood of Jesus can! We cannot put our hope and trust in what man can do. Our hope and trust must be in Jesus and Jesus alone.
HIS BLOOD IS THE FIRST BLOOD OVER OUR CITY.
The enemy will exploit anything he can. Through this "First Blood" monument, God began to show me the tactic of the enemy. When humans memorialize themselves, thinking they have accomplished something in their own strength or by their own power, it becomes an open door for a covenant with the enemy… "works" of any kind always lead back to religion… which establishes idols and spiritual strongholds… resulting in bondage and blindness for people.
We can never idolize what humans have done. We cannot worship ourselves or our works.
Gideon did it. After he defeated the Midianites, Gideon used his spoils to make a "sacred ephod." But soon the people started to worship it and "it became a trap for Gideon and his family" (Judges 8:27 NLT).
King Saul did it. After he defeated the Amalekites, Saul "went to the town of Carmel to set up a monument to himself" (1 Samuel 15:12 NLT). But because of his disobedience in battle, God rejected him as king.
King Nebuchadnezzar did it. As his power grew, he "made a gold statue [of himself] ninety feet tall and nine feet wide" (Daniel 3:1 NLT). But his pride eventually caught up with him and he went mad for a time.
We do it too. While we may or may not have a physical "idol" set up, the invisible idols in our hearts and minds are just as real. What idols have been set up in your life? In your region? What ungodly blood covenants have been made that need to be renounced? Where does God’s flag of victory need to be planed?
HIS BLOOD SPEAKS A BETTER WORD!
There is no better way to position ourselves for this regional breakthrough than through communion. The shed blood of Jesus that He poured out over the heavenly mercy seat established the New Covenant… and every time we partake of communion we receive His mercy anew and announce again what Jesus has done!
Paul the Apostle (formerly Saul the Pharisee) recounts the story of communion like this:
1 Corinthians 11:23-26 AMPC
“For I received from the Lord Himself that which I passed on to you [it was given to me personally], that the Lord Jesus on the night when He was treacherously delivered up and while His betrayal was in progress took bread, And when He had given thanks, He broke [it] and said, Take, eat. This is My body, which is broken for you. Do this to call Me [affectionately] to remembrance. Similarly when supper was ended, He took the cup also, saying, This cup is the new covenant [ratified and established] in My blood. Do this, as often as you drink [it], to call Me [affectionately] to remembrance. For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are representing and signifying and proclaiming the fact of the Lord's death until He comes [again].”
A few weeks ago, on October 7th, I had the honor of leading a time of communion in front of the "First Blood" monument in Wilmington. As we partook of the bread and juice, we declared that Jesus’ blood is the first blood over our city and that the violent cycle of bloodshed will stop! That moment has forever marked me. While we are still warring for the manifestation of complete victory in our city, I believe great ground was taken that day. Communion creates space for restoration and revival.
As Lou Engle has prophesied, there is a great communion revival unfolding! Christy Johnson has also given this prophetic encouragement: "Declare restoration over the land and by faith go as the Lord leads to physical locations to take communion over land and regions. Pronounce 'Jubilee' over these locations — that the land is restored by the Blood of the Lamb." (Read the full word here.)
OH HIS BLOOD WILL NEVER LOSE ITS POWER!
- Take COMMUNION over your city.
- Release the MERCY of God that triumphs over judgement.
- Declare that His BLOOD speaks a better word.
- Remember the new COVENANT we now have with Him.
- Plant His flag of VICTORY in your region!
It’s not by might, nor by power, but by His Spirit! (Zechariah 4:6). Jesus will receive His full reward in our cities!