Mahesh and Bonnie Chavda

Amnesty. It means an official pardon for the guilty offender for actions against a government. It’s an acquittal, a "not guilty" verdict, but even more—it's a pardon for offenses committed. We don’t often think of amnesty when we think of the cross. But that’s exactly what happened. The government of God acquitted us, pardoned us. It’s God’s ultimate solution for guilt. A few days ago the Holy Spirit brought before me a face familiar in the current news cycle. I had not followed the trial of a young American by Italian courts. Snippets I heard were too devastating for everyone on every side.

The spectacle of Golgotha stands center stage for men and angels, demons, and principalities and powers in all ages. What hap­pened outside the gate of Jerusalem 2,000 years ago is still unfolding. The cross is a spiritual mission in natural history creating a human spectacle of supernatural achievement. The absolute com­pleteness of Jesus’ atoning work was done according to non-negotia­ble conditions of righteousness that issues a personal invitation to each of us and has a totally practical application!

The Watch of the Lord is a global prayer network begun in 1995 in response to the Lord asking us, "Watch with Me."

In January 1995 we invited about 20 people to spend the following Friday from 10 p.m. until 6 a.m. on Saturday keeping the "night watch," fasting sleep for spiritual reasons. We gathered to wait on God in worship and prayer and share in communion through Jesus' body and blood in the Lord's Supper.

Every Friday since, we have done the same. We have celebrated the watch with as many as a thousand watchmen present. And now there are watches throughout the United States and abroad. We find ourselves in the midst of a renewed visitation that is manifesting the glory of the Lord!

Have you ever stopped to think about the scenes leading up to Jesus’ birth in their very human terms? We often wrap the Christmas story in a halo-like glow of wonder and the comfort of knowing the end of the story! But in between the awe of angelic visitation, the shining star and the rich gifts from the Magi, there was an impossible promise, wagging tongues of a scandalized community, a confused fiance, heartbroken parents, a bony donkey's back and a very dirty stable. Mary’s blessing came with a lot of contradictions!

God’s promises are often like that. Abraham was promised nations when he and Sarah were well beyond the age or natural ability to bear children. Moses was sent to set God’s people free from the most powerful nation on earth with a one-line memo and a stick.

Have you ever had a dream that inspired you? Did you know God has a dream for you?

God said to Abram, "Get out of your country, from your family and from your father's house, to a land that I will show you" (Gen. 12:1). God was calling Abram out of his natural identity into the dream He had to bless the nations. It was in that journey of faith that Abram became Abraham, the father of our faith.

God's dream revealed to Abraham marched down through the members of his family line, shaping their lives and destinies. Jacob, exiled and alone with nothing but a rock for a pillow, dreamed a dream in which God made him a promise: "This is the land that I will give you and your children's children."

"Awake, sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you" (Eph. 5:14, NASB).

We are in a fresh season of awakening. People are beginning to experience, hunger for and thirst for God in new ways. People everywhere are finding God as they have not found Him before. We have witnessed in recent weeks that people are beginning to think differently from before, perhaps even beyond how they've thought before. God promised to pour out His Spirit on all flesh (see Joel 2:28-29).

Several weeks ago I (Mahesh) was sitting in my library when I suddenly heard a noise behind me. I turned and saw an angel right there. He was young-looking, majestic, awesome, and full of strength, joy, and vigor. He was smiling, but there was the fragrance and atmosphere of battle all around him. He was a warring angel, and he had just come from battle.

Editor's Note: Today's message from Mahesh and Bonnie Chavda was published in the most recent edition of their Prophetic Perspective newsletter as a message to their friends and partners. I believe it is a powerful prophetic word for us all.

In recent days the Lord has been bringing back to us a prophetic word He gave us previously. He is saying that we are to "wake up Sleeping Beauty." Originally, it was the seed for a great miracle in the life of dear friends of ours, waking a "sleeping beauty" from a diabetic coma, restoring her back to life after doctors pronounced her brain-dead and advised the family to remove her life support.

One word from the glory—"Wake up, Sleeping Beauty!"—was all it took to release the resurrection power into the intensive care unit (ICU). The young woman walked out of the hospital three days later, pushing her nurse in a wheelchair!

Miracles are tokens that speak of a bigger strategy, and in the last few weeks the Lord has been quickening this word to us again in the context of our nation, the church and our national heritage. He confirms His word with signs and wonders, and in the last month we have received five similar, dramatic miracles of people awakening out of comas.