There's one thing my friend wrote that I didn't address in the article: "We were founded -clearly - on the principle of separation of Church and State." I didn't address that comment in the article for two reasons: 

1. I was 500 words over my target length when I submitted the article, mostly due to the quotes of our founders I included. 

2. Most of our intercessors have been hearing where the phrase "separation of Church and State" came from for decades. 

In case you haven't heard, it didn't come from our Declaration of Independence, our Constitution, or our Bill of Rights. It's found in a letter our third President, Thomas Jefferson, wrote to the Baptists of Danbury, CT, who were concerned that the newly formed federal government would dictate how their church was run. He responded:

I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should "make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof," thus building a wall of separation between Church & State.

President Jefferson was assuring them that the First Amendment was protecting them from the government running the church, not that there could be no influence of the Church on the State or no expression of faith from those in government. 

President Jefferson closes with this: "I reciprocate your kind prayers for the protection & blessing of the common father and creator of man, and tender you for yourselves & your religious association, assurances of my high respect & esteem."

He wrote that on January 1, in the Year of Our Lord Christ (as he was want to put in official Presidential documents) 1802. Two days later, he got on his horse and rode to church in the Capitol. 

You can read both letters by clicking here. 

Here's another statement my friend made that I didn't have room to bring into the article: "I could see why non-Christians would be alienated by this type of misleading post. Jesus Christ is our savior, but we must respect all religions in order to provide a safe and respectful place for all citizens."

My response is that our nation was dedicated to reaching those people, not hiding the soul-saving Gospel from them. In 1607 settlers landed at Cape Henry in what is now Virginia. After three days of fasting and prayer they pulled two beams from their ship to make a cross. In the shadow of that cross Rev. Robert Hunt prayed this: 

We dedicate this land to reach the People within these shores with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and to raise up Godly generations after us, and with these generations take the Kingdom of God to all the earth. May this Covenant of Dedication remain to all generations, as long as this earth remains and may this land, along with England, be evangelists to the world.

Neither Joyce nor I could be on today's Headline Prayer Live, but I'm including it here, because our colleagues and friends dug into the article with fervor! 

To get email alerts when Joyce and I are on Headline Prayer Live, sign up at www.RichDrama.com/blog/post/Prayer. 

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We covered that article and others on Headline Prayer Live that day: 

For email alerts when Joyce and I will be on Headline Prayer Live sign up at www.RichDrama.com/blog/post/Prayer.

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I've revamped my page on Washington's Armor, and included a short behind the scenes video I'd never seen about one of my scenes:

While we were praying for Ms. Peters, she was having lunch with President Trump to thank him for his part in her freedom!

Sign up to get an email alert the next time we're on Headline Prayer Live: www.RichDrama.com/blog/post/Prayer.

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I play three voices in this wonderful film we saw at its world premiere at The Kennedy Center:

Click here or on the photo below to see our album of photos from the event:

Here's the Headline Prayer Live episode that covered our article and more:

Joyce and I are on Headline Prayer Live the second and fifth Tuesdays. Sign up for reminders at www.RichDrama.com/blog/post/Prayer.

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I'll be portraying two of our founders at this event...

Intercessors for America pulled clips of things Joyce and I said on today's program:

And a trailer for the film:

Join us in praying for America the second and fifth Tuesdays of every month. If you'd like email reminders, you can sign up at www.RichDrama.com/blog/post/Prayer.

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Have a blessed Resurrection Day! 

Yesterday Rich Swingle, IFA contributing writer and prayer leader, spoke with a man who had been a classmate of Jeannine Brabon, who was instrumental in the 1970 Asbury revival. The man made an interesting comment about the differences between the two outpourings: The 1970 revival was marked by testimony, usually focused on repentance, and then with worship: this current outpouring seems to be marked by worship, followed by testimony of repentance, healing, and deliverance.

Worship has always been central to spiritual warfare. Judah — the tribe whose name is linked to praise — was the tribe that disembarked first from the Israelite camp (Numbers 2:1–4). Joshua sent first the priests carrying the ark of the covenant, representing the very presence of God, into the Jordan when the Israelites began to take the land (Joshua 3). The Lord ripped open prison walls when Paul and Silas worshipped in the Philippian prison (Acts 16:25–40).

Further, the Bible tells us that the Lord is enthroned on the praises of His people (Psalm 22:3). That being the case, is not the heartfelt expression of worship going to bring the overwhelming power of the presence of the Lord into our environment, circumstances, and community?

And given that the days are increasingly evil — seemingly more evil than those of 50 years ago — the presence of the Lord in overwhelming abundance is even more necessary to the clearing away of demonic strongholds. As the love of most grows cold, the fire of His presence as He inhabits the praises of His people melts away the ice, burns away the demons, and creates a new ladder to heaven (Genesis 28:12).

The Lord is accomplishing His work today in Asbury and beyond, even as He did in the 1970s. Throughout the ages and across the globe, the Lord has visited His people to recover them to Himself through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. In His wisdom, He chooses the means and the expression of His visitations. We are left to revel in His goodness and rejoice with the saints.

As Joyce Swingle, IFA contributing writer and prayer leader, reflected on the Swingles' days in Wilmore, she told IFA that a spirit of humility is dominant. This was also emphasized by student body President Alison Perfater in an interview with Glenn Beck: "My generation struggles with pride, and what we've seen here is a radical humility. Students are standing up and confessing …  and they're opening their hearts up not only to the presence of God but to each other, and that is a very intimate thing. … There is that core of honesty that we are holding onto."

Radical humility. Is that something you want? Please post your prayer in the comments.

[Click here to read the whole string of articles throughout the Outpouring...]

Joyce and I are on Headline Prayer Live the second and fifth Tuesdays of each month. You can subscribe for email reminders at www.RichDrama.com/blog/post/Prayer. 

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If you're in or near Westchester County, start Passion Week with...

Find out more at www.RichDrama.com/blog/post/JourneyToTheGarden.

In the program we covered "Conservatives Work to Pass the SAVE Act, End the ‘Zombie Filibuster’," and promised that a site was being set up to urge our politicians to require voter ID, something 83% of Americans agree on. That site is now ready, and you can take action now. 

To get email reminders that we'll be on Headline Prayer Live (second and fifth Tuesdays) sign up at www.RichDrama.com/blog/post/Prayer.

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Joyce and I were blessed to attend the third pre-release screening of I Can Only Imagine 2, and we both loved it! It's a story of struggles, redemption, and second chances. It is coming to theaters nationwide on February 20.

Pray for a great opening weekend (critical to the success of any film), and that it draws many closer and into the Kingdom of God.