An old praise chorus popped into my heart this morning. As I sat at my computer, out of the blue I sang out, “O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is your name in all of the earth!” 

This song originated from Psalm 8 where the word for excellent is translated as majestic many times. As I read through the chapter verse 2 caught my attention in particular. It seemed counter-intuitive as scripture often does at first glance.

“Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger.” Psalm‬ ‭8‬:‭2‬ ‭

I was not sure what it meant but continued reading and meditating on the passage. After a few minutes I went to my handwritten journal to transcribe the thoughts of the Father as they entered my heart. A clarity began to take shape not only about strength from the mouths of babies but the reality of God’s majesty.

“Do you see My majesty surrounding you? It is not hard to find. For the one who is looking, it will be found. For the one who is seeking will be rewarded. My majesty is found in you and throughout creation. I am looking for seers of majesty; not identifiers of darkness. My light eradicates darkness not shouting about it. Let your light, your majesty shine before all men. That’s what draws them into My presence. 

What seems to be weak and foolish to the world is actually My strength and wisdom at work. The cry of babies is pure worship before Me. I have set My intentions, My heart and My purposes to be borne out through My children. Let not their voices be silenced. The cry of the womb, the babe and the youth is being unmuzzled in this generation.

Son, be the father this generation needs. Lead them in excellence, in majesty. Fathers and mothers, rise in majesty in this hour to release the voice, the praise of generations so the young will walk it out in power and by My Spirit.

Just walk with Me, Son. Do not tread the path of the wicked but follow My steps that lead to righteousness.”

Every son and daughter of the Father has a unique voice to be heard on the Earth. Even as babies our voices silence the enemy. May this be a year of God’s majesty revealed and the avenger stilled through our signature sound that was crafted by our loving Creator.

Reveal your majesty in me in 2023!

David had a reputation and that rep brought him before the king. These traits were the reason that he served the position he was called to well before he was crowned. If we understand what it takes to stand before royalty, we can also bring the presence of God into unexpected places of influence. Let’s take a deeper look into the seven traits David displayed that gave him access to the royal court.

The backdrop of the following scripture passage is centered around King Saul losing his anointing to rule and being tormented by a spirit sent from God. (What?! Yep, God sent it.) He needs relief from his agony and is looking for some soothing sounds to calm his soul. Enter the harp-playing, sheep-tending, song-writing, giant-killing King in Waiting, David son of Jesse.

One of the young men answered, “Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing, a man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a man of good presence, and the LORD is with him.” 1 Samuel 16:18

David’s Royal Attributes

We are meant to stand before kings because we already are kings ourselves. Maybe you are called to stand before a literal king or it could also be people of influence in any area of society. As a member of God’s royal family we must understand the authority we carry. Someone operating in a kingly anointing will demonstrate the following traits that David modeled for us. 

1. Son of Jesse - Jesse means I possess; a true son has an inheritance 

Earlier in 1 Samuel 16 we see David was not invited to the Prophet Samuel’s anointing party for the next King of Israel. Some scholars believe David was born out of wedlock and therefore not considered equal to his brothers. In Psalm 51 David states that he was “conceived in iniquity” which may be why he was left to look after some smelly sheep when Samuel came calling. Whatever the case may have been, he was still definitely Jesse’s son. With that came an inheritance. For David it went beyond a natural possession that his father passed on to him. He was called to lead the nation governmentally and spiritually. 

As sons and daughters of the King we also have an inheritance of the same kind. We have land to repossess from enemy hands in the natural and spiritual realm. Do not let your beginning determine your end. We have a high calling in Christ Jesus and that means we have territory to take back.

2. Skillful in Playing - Knows what he is doing 

While tending the sheep alone on hills of Judea, David was refining his skill set. He was undoubtedly gifted musically as he penned many songs for the Lord. It wasn’t his natural gifting alone that brought him to play before Saul. The word for skilled in Hebrew is yada meaning to know. If you know something that means you learned it.  

Don’t roll up in the king’s court with nothing to offer. What is in your hands? Submit to God and see where He will take you. God can do the miraculous at any time. More often than not He equips us with abilities that can open unexpected doors when we optimize them for His glory. 

3. Man of Valor - Mighty and strong

Many times David showed himself to be mighty and strong. We see his strength displayed through his dedication to protect his father’s flock. A lion and a bear were no match for him when they tried to devour the sheep under his care. His strength led to the strength of others. While on the run from Saul, the downtrodden and outcast were drawn to his strong leadership and they joined him in battle. From this unlikely, motley crew came David’s mighty men who went on to accomplish astounding feats of strength. 

David knew where his strength originated from as he explains in Psalm 28:7: “The Lord is my strength and my shield, in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.” As mighty strong believers, we know God is our source and we can be confident because the battle is His and not ours.

4. Man of War - Knows how to fight

Maybe the most famous fight in history wasn’t much of a fight at all. It was a one shot and you’re done confrontation. Despite all of the noise that Goliath made, He didn’t even get to lift his weapon. David knew how to fight because he came equipped with the power and anointing of God and did not rely on his natural ability alone. He refused to walk into battle with armor and weapons made for someone else. He defeated Goliath with a weapon he was familiar with. 

Our best weapons to defeat the enemy are the ones that God has given us. We must know and accept where we have been placed and what is in our hands. Each of us are in a fight unique to our own life experience. Learning to battle with the Lord on our side will lead to the salvation and freedom of many others.

5. Prudent in Speech - Discerning and understanding in communication

David is one of the great communicators of the Bible. We get to witness how he held nothing back in his dialogue with God throughout the Psalms. His honest heart’s cry to the Lord is seen time and time again as he wrestles with rejection, betrayal, heartbreak, attempted coups, death and more. David understood that God is always listening and speaking. “But know that the Lord has set apart the godly for himself; the Lord hears when I call to him.” ‭‭Psalm‬ ‭4‬:‭3‬ 

His example reminds us that God is more than able to handle our ‘real talk.’ ‬‬Our words are powerful. In fact, the Bible teaches us that the power of life and death is the tongue. As we are committed to speaking life, we will see circumstance shift and outcomes change as we echo the heart of God.

6. Man of Good Presence - His presence makes a statement

Apparently, David was quite the looker. The Bible makes it a point to describe him as handsome. Beyond his “smoking hot” physical appearance, David knew the importance of being a creation of God. Psalm 139 beautifully describes the care and detail that our Father took when he made us. 

We are fearfully and wonderfully made and God is to be praised for it. Understanding the worth imbued to us through our Creator allows us to be men and women of good presence. When we know our worth, we can walk confidently in that truth and God is glorified in us.

7. Lord Is With Him - Marked by the Presence of God

A man after God’s own heart … maybe the most astounding description of David in the Bible. We are all very familiar with his shortcomings but it was his insatiable desire to be in the presence of God that truly marked him. Psalm 63 gives us some insight into his lifelong pursuit of God. “O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” Psalm‬ ‭63‬:‭1

When our hearts desire God’s presence above anything else others will take notice that the Lord is with us. Oh, God, would you visit us once again and mark our hearts. Only you will satisfy our deepest desire!

It’s Our Turn Now

Peter described us as a royal priesthood made to proclaim the excellence of God. David was a type and shadow of the one true King of all kings, Jesus Christ. While the Old Testament royal was an apt model to follow in many ways, we now have access to walk with Jesus every day. In our journey to be like Him we can demonstrate these kingly traits which will bring us before people of influence who need a touch from God. Like the Psalmist we can then say, “This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.” 

“Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter through them and give thanks to the Lord. This is the gate of the Lord; the righteous shall enter through it. I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation. The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm‬ ‭118‬:‭19‬-‭24‬

Each person’s unique beauty, creativity and genius is a demonstration of God’s glory. Every person has the seed of His glory inside of them. For some it maybe hidden quite deeply and harder to recognize. Sin and it’s proliferation separates us from God resulting in our glory being dimmed.

Whether a follower of Christ or not the potential to display the nature and goodness of God lies within us. We are in a process of awakening. We will be fully awake once in the presence of God in eternity. While some are currently asleep those who have open eyes and ears must be looking and listening for the faint indicators of God’s destiny within those that slumber. We must identify and magnify the yet-to-be released glory in others.

Recognizing God in those who do not yet recognize Him is paramount to awakening their heart to the Truth. While we were yet sinners Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). He fully understood the value of humanity by substituting His perfection for our brokenness. Sin is the blockage that distances our heart from God’s glory. Sin removal through Christ's blood introduces us to God's original intent for mankind. We are meant for intimacy with Him. When this is realized, glory is revealed in us and through us.

Avoiding sin is not to be done merely as a religious activity but it can be seen as the barrier standing between our current misshapen state and living in wholeness and unity with our loving Father. While walking the earth Jesus stated (John 14:30) that the enemy had no "hold over me." Sin had no place in Jesus as he demonstrated perfect union with the Father. That led to God being glorified in all that he said and did.

Our glory is His glory. His glory is our glory. Sin, in affect, turns glory on ourselves. When we glorify or worship ourselves it leads to destruction. We are not made to be worshipped and the end result of self-worship is ultimately death. Returning God’s glory to Him through the worship of our life, gifts and talents is what makes us flourish. God is honored, exalted and glorified. We are restored, saved and blessed.

May God be glorified in me.

It's coming down! God is washing America's sins as white as snow.

Thursday, January 28, 2021 it snowed in Virginia Beach. It was the first real snow storm since 2018. At my home it accumulated 5 or 6 inches. It was the 6th time in 16 winters of living in this city that it has snowed more than 5 inches. It is not very common.

When I woke up to pray that morning I saw the snow and thought it was neat, but didn't think much more of it. As I spent time in prayer, Holy Spirit began to move in my heart in the areas of living holy, pure and righteous. I was being made of aware of the importance of living a life of repentance and holiness so our relationship with the Father is unhindered.

Later on during prayer, I realized the significance of the snow storm, our sins being washed away and what He was highlighting to me. These verses came to mind.

"Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow."
- Psalm‬ ‭51:7‬ ‭

"Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool." 
- Isaiah‬ ‭1:18‬

I then began to wonder if Washington DC was experiencing the same storm. I found out there has been one of the longest snow droughts in recorded history in Washington DC. In fact, Monday, January 25 broke the snow drought with 0.3 inches of snow. Last year (2020) DC had only one snow event of 0.2 inches. It was the least amount of snow in one year for the city. 

Additionally, Washington DC has gone almost two years without seeing a half an inch of snow in one day. It is the longest recorded stretch of it's kind for the city. While it did snow on January 25th it was less than half an inch. This particular streak has gone 710 days as of January 30, 2021.

I believe this DC snow drought signifies the lack of purity, righteousness and holiness operating in America and our government. There is a dearth of righteousness in America but God is cleansing our land. This is a sign that inequity and sin is being washed away. God has been addressing His church and now a Spirit of repentance will fall on us along with a new desire for holiness.

Virginia and Virginia Beach are first fruits of America. Cape Henry was the dedication place of America for the purposes of God. Virginia is the birthplace of governmental leadership in US. Not only was our first President George Washington from Virginia but eight US Presidents were born here. Eight, representing new beginnings, shows the significance of the leadership Virginia has provided in founding of our country.

God is cleansing America starting with her roots. Washington DC, the government and all of America is next. Jesus was the First Fruit for mankind. Now He is redeeming nations and washing them with His blood and bathing them in His presence.

Currently the forecast for Washington DC for January 31, 2021: "WINTER STORM WARNING. Heavy snow expected. Total snow accumulations 4 to 8 inches."

This will break the 0.5 inch snowfall drought at 711 days. This number carries a message, as well. God is prophetically speaking (11) that He is completing (7) His work of righteous over DC. Purity and holiness is falling down on America.

Jesus is Coming for His Pure Bride

The centralized authority of America is surrounded by Virginia and Maryland. Spiritually speaking "Virgin Mary" or the pure, spotless bride is what holds government in rightful place. Mary carried Jesus in her womb and DC sits in the "womb" of these two states. The government rests on the shoulders of Jesus. Jesus entered the Earth through a “pure bride” and will be returning to Earth for his pure bride, his called out disciples — the true church. We are meant to carry the government of God inside of us which also pours out of us to affect change wherever we go. The kingdom of God is here. The kingdom of God is at hand.

With Jesus’ blood we are washed white as snow. Living a holy life of repentance means we never step out of relationship with the Father. This is why Jesus sacrificed all He did to restore what was lost between man and his Creator. A righteous people of God are able to administer kingdom government on earth. This is what we war in the spirit for — Jesus-led government. With the Head directing us the Body of Christ is about to fully walk into their glory destiny to establish His kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.

1:20 AM - 'Another Take His Office'

January 30, 2021, I awoke around 1:00 AM. I was going in and out of wake and sleep picking up things in the Spirit about what God had shown me the day before in regards to America being washed. Eventually I looked a the time and it was 1:20. 

I thought of the 120 disciples waiting in the Upper Room for the outpouring of Holy Spirit. I knew that was in Acts 1. Next I thought I should read Acts 1:20:

"For it is written in the Book of Psalms, 'May his camp become desolate, and let there be no one to dwell in it'"; and "'Let another take his office.’" 

This scripture is referring to the process of replacing Judas Iscariot. He stole from Jesus and he betrayed Jesus. After that he hung himself while Jesus was unjustly judged and crucified. It reminds me that there are those that have stolen elections and betrayed the President. There has been unjust "judgement and crucifixion" of Donald J. Trump through impeachment and inauguration of another. 

Based on the word of God through many prophets and insight the Holy Spirit has given me, I see this as another indication and confirmation that Biden will be removed and Trump reinstalled as President of the United States.

What is the church's position in this time? We wait in our Upper Room like the 120 disciples until we are filled with His presence and power. Find yourself in a place of devotion to God, seeking His face before anything else where you exalt His name and see Him come meet with you and transform your life.

In summary, as the remnant of God wait for His power to be released in them, He will not only fill us with His Spirit so that we can enact His kingdom government but He will also will remove the corrupt who have stolen and betrayed the Lord God Almighty himself.

God is washing our society as a whole and He is raising up the pure and spotless bride to usher in His righteousness and His glory.

May it start in me. Wash me white as snow, Father. Thank you for your blood that was shed for my sins, Jesus!

God is into numbers. He mentions them a lot in the Bible. It shows the preciseness of his nature. Nothing is out of order. I'm a numbers guy, too, but not in the mathematical, nerdy accountant way. I see them as a mechanism or vehicle that God uses to speak to us. Numbers show us how he is working in our lives and ordering our steps.

The number seven (7) has always been significant to me. I was born in 1977. I married Jenny on October 7th. Our first child, Elena Kay, was born on December 7th.  Our second child, Cassia, was born in 2007. The baby of the family, Addie, was born in July or the 7th month.  Not to leave out our one and only son, Josiah's birthday is 2/4/2009. If you add all of the numbers of his birth date together it equals 17. It's a God number and it's our family number.

In the Bible, seven, sevenfold and seventh are used 860 times. FYI, 8+6+0=14 … and that is two sevens. It's a number of completion, perfection and wholeness. Seven is like our Creator's signature saying "I started this and I'm going to finish it." He leaves nothing undone, even if we can't see it yet. He sees the end from the beginning.

When I turned 40 in 2017, I was confronted with more significant numbers and sevens in my life. It related to my trip to Israel that year and you can read about that here: Israel 2017 and here 40 Years.

April 5, 2020, was my 43rd birthday. I woke up with the intention of spending time listening to God. The first thing that popped into my mind was, "You were born for this." Right afterwards I saw a picture of God as though is was rubbing his hands together in anticipatory delight. It was like he was saying, "You ain't seen nothing, yet!"

While I was writing and praying, I was reminded that a few years ago I learned that I was born during Passover. I wondered what the date was on the Jewish calendar. The investigation began. Turns out I was born on Nisan 17, 5737 which was the third day of Passover. Look at that … sevens.

As I researched this date, some sources claimed it is the second most mentioned date in the Bible and potentially the day that Jesus' raised from the dead. I wasn't able to completely verify those claims but it makes some sense. Nisan 17 is the third day of Passover and Jesus, our perfect sacrificial Lamb, rose on the third day. More on this later.

Mom and Dad called to wish me a Happy Birthday, and I brought up the "resurrection day" nugget I had just found out. Mom reminded me that her father, my Grandpa Dewayne Martin, was born on April 6, 1917. The day I wrote this was the 103rd anniversary of his birth. (10-3=7 … bit of a stretch but still) Immediately I looked up his birthday in relation to Passover. Turns out, he was born the day before Passover.

Now, the wheels really start turning as I remembered Mom telling me that he was always very interested in End-Times prophecy. She had mentioned this because my prophetic journey started out the same way -- being very interested in Jesus coming back, who's the anti-christ and eschatology in general. My spiritual, prophetic mentor (from afar) John Paul Jackson said an interest in eschatological prophecy can be a sign that you have some level of a prophetic call. It is sort of a jumping off point into the prophetic world.

I started to see a message forming from the dates and numbers associated with my family. My Grandfather was a picture of his generation as it relates to the prophetic. During his lifetime prophecy was mostly limited to when Jesus would return. In much of the church there was no outlet for hearing God. Mainline churches did not really believe that there were such things as "prophets."

His birth was symbolic of this … the day before Passover. His generation was not experiencing all of fulfilled Passover. Jesus paid the price so that we could have full access to the Father. It has been available since the cross but we have not always walked in that reality, though.

Fifty-nine years and three hundred and sixty-four days later, I was born the day before my Grandpa's birthday. This birth was on the third day of Passover, though. My generation is prophetically living in His resurrection power as never before.

During my lifetime we have seen an explosion of prophetic ministry throughout the earth. Not just that but the church is alive and well filling the Earth with God's glory more than ever. I believe my life is one small message representing that shift. The price Jesus paid for us to be free to commune with the Father was always enough. Each day, each generation comes closer to the pure and spotless bride Jesus is coming back for.

Near Generation

I never got a chance to know my Grandpa Dewayne. He passed away January 8, 1978, 9 months and 3 days after I was born. Numbers again … all significant. The all have to do with new beginnings. January is the start of a new year. The number eight symbolizes new beginnings. Nine months (gestation time for a human baby) after I was born my Grandfather passes on representing a "Passover" from one generation to another. We can even throw the 3 days in there that symbolize resurrection life on the third day.

What I have not mentioned is that I was born on the same day of my Uncle Leon Martin. Leon is Grandpa Dewayne's second son born on April 5, 1943. (I will remind you that all of this came to my attention on my 43rd birthday. Also, 4+3=7 if you didn't know.) He would have been 77 this year. Unfortunately, I never really knew Leon, either.

He was alive during my lifetime, but sadly he suffered with paranoid schizophrenia and I rarely saw him. You may be aware of the symptoms of someone suffering from this disorder. One of the common symptoms is hearing voices. Not to disregard the actual health issues that my uncle faced, but I have a strong feeling that he carried a significant prophetic gift.

Once again, in his generation there was not an outlet for the prophetic to be developed, trained and walked out. His ability to hear things beyond the natural realm could have been hijacked by the enemy therefore leading him down the wrong path.

Uncle Leon passed away on September 2, 1991. I was 14 years old. Two sevens.

Some might say, "Do you think God was orchestrating his death so it would line up with random numbers?" No, my Father is the God of abundant life. He has a way of orchestrating our lives with such great mastery that even in death he is bringing life.

Now Generation

June 30, 2017 I reached out to Emmett Romine on LinkedIn and asked if he could chat on the phone. I had seen that Emmett was also in the marketing industry and thought we could share some ideas. On July 2, he responded back and we scheduled a time to talk.

Emmett is my cousin and Leon's youngest son. When I messaged Emmett on June 30 it had probably been over 20 years since the last time I had seen him. I'm not sure if we had ever talked. During my journey of discovery on April 5, I learned that Emmett's birthday is July 1, 1970 or 7/1/70. Nice sevens you got there. During 2017, I unknowingly messaged my cousin the day before his 47th birthday.

I was discussing this with Mom on one of my multiple calls with her and she told me that Emmett's older brother Bryon was born on July, 27, 1967. Really … 7/27/67.

My thoughts on Leon's sons and the sevens. It is possible that both sons have a gift related to hearing God. Emmett being a marketing professional makes me think so. He helps people and businesses communicate effectively which I identify with, too.

(Side note on the Martin family: Leon was a second son. Emmett is a second son. I am a second son.)

Also, God is bringing wholeness to what was broken in previous generations. God is redeeming what has been lost. The reason why it was lost is not as important as the reality that is being found. Jesus is jealous for us to claim everything he made available to us through the cross.

Dewayne means "black or dark" and Leon means "lion." In the context of this conversation, my grandfather's name hints that his generation which was born in World War I and grew up in World War II was dark. That is to say seeing was more difficult. It was a dark time spiritually speaking.

Leon's generation was meant to reign as kings. It was his birthright to usher in more of God's kingdom. The one who goes about as a roaring lion interrupted and cut short his destiny. In some ways the same can be said for his generation. But God sees Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. His plan spans generations and will not be cut off.

The surname Martin derives from Mars the god of War. My family heritage is to be warriors for the King of kings. My name Mark has the same etymology. It could be said that I have a double assignment or anointing to fight for the inheritance of my family and my generation. I'm warring so that the generations will see and hear everything we are meant to experience from our Father in heaven.

Next Generation

In my family, Dewayne Martin and his son Leon left this earth before their time. They died too young. I believe they had unfulfilled destiny of communicating God's love and purpose for his children. The following generations are standing on their shoulders despite what may look like failure to some. Now we can carry the mantle that once was on their shoulders and pass it on to the next in better condition than ever before.

In summary, the numbers, dates, names they all underline the fact that God's plan is moving forward. My family is just one sentence in an epic story that has been unfolding for thousands of years. The Author who has had the end in mind from the start is weaving a narrative that is unlike any known to man.

Unfathomably, this masterful Biographer has chosen to write parts for all us. If we simply take the time to read what He is writing on our hearts, each one of us will be astonished by the intricacies he has woven into our stories. Know this with absolute certainty: you were born for this.