This month we look at the biggest news item of 2020, and discuss the truer, more urgent news that’s on heaven’s network…

Dancing in War

Ten years ago, in the beginning of 2010, I (Dylan DeMarsico) had a dream. I was with Nick Padovani, co-founder of Elisha’s Riddle, and we were on a stage in the city of Boston. In the dream, World War III had begun. When we realized what was happening in the world, Nick and I started to dance. Soon, thousands of people started dancing along with us. It was incredible!

When the United States and Iran had a little back and forth earlier this month, World War III became the top trending topic on Twitter. Thankfully, as of the time of this article, no global war has started. Nonetheless, this is a good reminder that no matter what is going on in this world, our command remains the same: Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say, rejoice (Philippians 4:4).

Jesus knows what He’s doing. He’s got the whole world in His hands. He knows all about the wars and rumors of war. And yet He tells us to rejoice in Him. It makes no sense to the world, yet it’s really what the whole world is longing for. All the shaking of nations is leading to a new world where peace reigns!

We are looking forward to a resurrection where we will live forever with God and with each other. Everything will be great. All the nations will rest in His love . . . and a worldwide dance party will happen! We might as well start dancing now. He’s alive!

Devil Horns and the Face of God

At the onset of 2020, a fresh conflict in Iran became the centerpiece of the news. With it came a post from a photographer of a solar eclipse over the Persian Sea that looked like devil horns rising from the ocean. The ominous picture conjured up images of the beast rising from the sea in Revelation 13 and many thought it was a deadly omen of a world war that was about to erupt.

At the time of this picture’s skyrocket to the top of the anxious news headlines, I (Nick Padovani) was preparing the curriculum for The School of Awakening that we host at our church The Almond Branch. The particular course for this month was dealing with the reality of God’s true nature and face. I was preparing to challenge the dualism in the church, where we see both “good” and “evil” in the face of our Father (seeing Him as both a healer and killer; the author of evil and its destroyed). I brought up the Roman god Janus, who had two-faces, and how Christianity has subtly let this pagan mythology into the backdoor our faith in the ways that we view God. I knew God wanted to expose this age-old lie in a deeper way, and I realized as I preparing the curriculum that I would be teaching this course in the very month named after that false deity (Janu-ary)!

I then realized something else while preparing the curriculum. This image of devil horns is only possible because something is blocking the face of the sun… This was my exact point in the school; that false ideas and dualistic perspectives (high things that exalt themselves) cause us to look at the Son of God and see darkness. In reality, He is only light – in Him there is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5)! This wasn’t a sign of war – it was a sign pointing to the bigger item on heaven’s agenda right now…

Wars and rumors of wars continue, but the main thing going on in heaven is the coming “apocalypse” (a word in the Greek simply means “unveiling”) of the true face of our Father, revealed through Jesus Christ. This is what is dawning and rising in this hour. The full revelation of Jesus is what will ultimately bring healing to the nations! Let’s expect the Lord to continue to expose His goodness more than ever before in the days ahead.

“…In the last days, they will come trembling to the Lord and His goodness” (Hosea 3:5).