Wake Up – Part 1 (The Handwriting is on the Wall)

By Bunni Pounds

When we started this ministry in December, we started with a word from Romans 13:11 – “And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. Now it is high time for us to awake out of sleep…” I don’t think I completely understood what that meant for our hour of history, but I knew I had to press forward with a CALL to AWAKEN the church in this time. My heart was burning to see a Great Awakening and a renewal of a church that would get involved with their culture and not just sit back within the four walls of the church.

My first blog I wrote for our website was, “This is the Awakening”. I highly encourage you to read it here.

FIRSTS are important in our lives – our first step, our first tooth that falls out, our first kiss, our first baby etc. We pay attention to them and we should.  I don’t think I realized it at the time, but in my very first article for Christians Engaged, I wrote about the real WHY behind our creation.

It wasn’t about a political agenda, it wasn’t to move legislation, it wasn’t to change elected officials, though all of those are important and have their place – Christians Engaged was created to awaken everyone - outside the church, inside the church, at festivals, in churches, at parks, at concerts, in Washington DC, in Austin, in Dallas, in Houston -  to connect with JESUS, to walk with God, and to impact our culture with His truth and life.

This was before COVID-19, before our #ChooseHOPE articles and videos, before our ‘10,000 Letters of HOPE and BLESSING’ project, and before the other things that are in our hearts to do during this season through Christians Engaged.

We feel like our specific calling in this moment is to the political community around Texas to sow LIFE into our elected officials, political leaders, and active grassroots leaders who need wisdom, discernment, and peace.

This introduction is so important for me to cover because THIS week is significant for our nation, our state, and our world and I believe I must be one of the VOICES speaking into what is happening.

Two weeks ago, my friend Kem Shafer, sent me a word that she felt was from the Lord. It was from back in August of 2018. Yes, I said, 2018!

I couldn’t refute it.

This is Passover week – the week that the Jewish people around the globe celebrate their freedom from Egypt. The Ten Commandments was just on TV again and we, as Christians, are celebrating Palm Sunday, Good Friday, and Resurrection Sunday at the same time as the Jewish Passover this year. That doesn’t happen every year. I believe it is not an accident.  

This WORD that Kem sent me is a Word of Awakening. It might seem harsh, but it is really compassion from our Father God.

Nothing ever happens without God trumpeting it for His people first. The prophets always know what is about to happen and that applies, I believe, even in our day. God sends words of deliverance, hope, mercy, and even correction to the household of faith – first.

Kem was just cleaning her house and praying back in 2018 when she heard very clearly – THE HANDWRITING IS ON THE WALL.

This was a shock to her, and she opened her eyes fully expecting to see something written on the wall, but there wasn’t anything there. After a few seconds, she continued to pray.

The next thing she heard was: MARK YOUR HOUSES – THE SPIRIT OF DEATH IS COMING.

For over two years this precious woman has been carrying these two messages – remember this was from August of 2018.

She took it to her pastor who preached a series of messages on the blood of Jesus – but she really believes this message is for this season in time.

I read her notes, pondered, and prayed.

I believe this is the Word of the Lord for THIS WEEK – Passover Week - during this season of the Coronavirus.

When I tell you that I trust this woman – I trust this woman.

She and her husband were on my leadership team with a local evangelistic ministry in town. For a year that I led our region - we organized weekly outreaches through local churches to the streets. Kem and I have led many people to Jesus together and tried to connect them to people who will disciple them.

She is not one of those “prophets” that you see on TV. She is just a mom, a Christ follower, and a strong and humble woman who carries the gospel. She loves to pray, encourage, and build people up, so when she told me about this word – I had to go to God with it.

I will deal with the second part later – but right now – let’s dive into THE HANDWRITING IS ON THE WALL. I believe this is a message for us all in this hour – whether you are a Christ follower or not.

This is a word for America.

KING BELSHAZZER’S STORY – ANYTHING LIKE AMERICA TODAY?

Let’s start with King Belshazzar in the book of Daniel. I highly encourage you to read Daniel 5. It is fascinating and a place we can make many comparisons to where we are in America today.

King Belshazzar liked to party, so he threw one and then he called for God’s cups and utensils that his father, King Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple of God in Jerusalem years before.  His full court “toasted to pagan gods” with these holy vessels. “As they drank the wine, they praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone.” (Daniel 5:4).

This is us, America – worshiping anything other than God. Taking God’s holy things like music, art, and sportsmanship and making them into idols that don’t resemble God at all and then allowing those idols to capture our hearts.

Interesting that right now as everything is shut down – our concert halls, our sports stadium, and our art galleries – that we don’t have these things so easily available to us to lean on and inspire us.  

Belshazzar saw the writing on the wall, but he couldn’t interpret it. He didn’t know how to read the signs of the times and he searched for anyone who could “read” it for him. The magicians, the enchanters, astrologers, and diviners didn’t have the answer. They didn’t know what to say, and the King was frustrated beyond belief.

Then someone told him that there was a man named Daniel he could call - who had served his father and had a “keen mind and knowledge and understanding, and also the ability to interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve difficult problems.” (vs. 12)

King Belshazzer received Daniel and acknowledged him as a man of God.

He said to Daniel when he entered, “I have heard of you, that the Spirit of God is in you, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you.” (vs.14)

It is interesting that even in the king’s rebellion that he recognized Daniel’s history with God, his history and faithfulness to speak into the life of his father the former King, and the Spirit of God on Daniel’s life.  

Daniel told the King the TRUTH.

He reminded him of his own family history. He reminded him how powerful his father was and yet how King Nebuchadnezzar’s heart got consumed with PRIDE. He reminded Him of how his father was taken off his throne by God and how he literally went crazy because the glory had departed from him.

Daniel said to King Belshazzar, “But you his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, although you knew all this. And you have lifted yourself up against the Lord of heaven.” (vs. 22-23)

Like Belshazzar, we are guilty of not humbling ourselves and remembering our own past. How quickly we forget our own dark history here in our own nation. How quickly we get puffed up in pride and think we know it all. This is the generation that thinks they have “arrived”. They think they have it all together.

“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.  But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.  For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left.  Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. Matthew 24:36-42

The handwriting is on the wall – the question is: Are we seeing it?

Are we paying attention?

God is trying to capture our attention.

Do we see the handwriting on the wall?

I truly believe our moment is NOW to be awakened out of sleep.

You might be reading this right now and thinking – why am I reading this? How did I find this article by this woman? Why am I reading about Belshazzar?

God is calling you. He is speaking over you in the #DaysofCorona. It is time to turn your attention to Him to find the ones like Daniel in your life who can speak truth and interpret the signs of the times for you.

Search for truth. Search for Him. Don’t think it is an accident that you are reading this.

It is time to mark your house (your heart) with BLOOD as the spirit of Death sweeps through our land.

I believe this Passover week is a turning point in our nation.

Death is coming to our land (Kem had a word from the Lord back in 2018 along with many others), but GOD has made a way of escape.

The way out to true safety is found in His Son – the Messiah – JESUS.

I am going to write more about Passover, the death angel, and the way of atonement for America in the next blog – Part 2, but you don’t have to wait for that.

Do the opposite of Belshazzer today – humble yourself, accept the truth, and run to God from your idols.

He is waiting with open arms. He is writing on the wall… His hand is spelling it out loud and clear.

Are we listening, America?

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