How Shall We NOW Live?
(Disclaimer: The following comments are not political in any manner whatsoever. They are merely what I’m sensing as spiritual concerns arising from currents events, how they may affect our present situations, and what we must do to prepare for the future.
This is not an exhaustive or finished work by any stretch of the imagination; but rather a blogging of thoughts as they occured to me and as I meditated on them. Accept them as challenges for us to begin dealing with the issues at hand in an objective, open and honestly manner. They flow out of a deep concern for what is happening in our country and the Church. I sense like, over time, we have become deceived by the enemy into ‘believing The Lie’ about so many things because we have ‘refused to ‘believe the Truth’. I fear for our welfare in the present, and in the future; we are woefully unprepared for either.
God help us! And He will…if we humble ourselves before Him and seek the Truth above all else, rather than merely defend age-old belief systems…for whatever reason.)
NEW DAY!
After the election of 11-08 I sensed the Lord telling me that we had ”just turned a corner, and we were never coming back again”, that this was NOW a whole new world: new era/new dispensation we were entering into, and “we have not been this way before”. We are potentially & literally on the threshold of the “End Times” in a very real way. As never before we will need NOW to find a way to understand God’s Will for our lives daily, and keep all our faculties & efforts totally focused & disciplined precisely on how He wants us to live every day…and every minute of the day…according to His divine plan.
BUSINESS AS USUAL?
Personally, I do not believe we can still continue with a “business as usual” attitude. The incurable ‘optimist’, ‘doer’ personality will adopt that stance and continue to ‘bust through’ & ‘push on ahead’ as usual. But times NOW are far more serious than that. This wasn’t just another election that the conservatives blew like having an ‘off-day’ football game; so it’s back to the drawing board, back to the basics, and start all over again. Some are saying “Give it a couple or four years, and things will be back to normal.” I’m not so sure.
CONVENTIONAL WISDOM?
I sense this is different. We will not NOW be able to rely on ‘conventional wisdom’ - and indeed should not. This will NOW require specific revelation knowledge, divine wisdom, and constant dependence on the Lord for guidance. It will NOW require a deliberate seeking of the will of God, & walking in implicit obedience to His instructions. We will NOW need to learn how to acquire and ‘Practise His Presence’, as Brother Lawrence did and wrote about many years ago. Otherwise, we will lose our way, and be in a horrible mess in the days to come.
LIVE LIKE WE BELIEVE!
We are NOW in a situation where we ‘must put our money where our mouth’ has been, so to speak. I believe we must NOW make a total commitment to what we’ve believed all along down deep inside, but have never had the courage or sensed the pressing need to be completely sold out to. I believe God is saying that we must NOW aggressively pursue whatever we have always had a vision for, or sensed in our spirit that He has called us to be and/or do. Until now, there was always some reason why we couldn’t or wouldn’t or shouldn’t take the plunge, and throw our entire weight behind our convictions. NOW we MUST do so.
NEW-LEVEL COMMITMENT
We must NOW dig down deeply to identify what our specific Godly passions are, dig deeper to discover what it will require of us to make that come to fruition, and dig deeper still to reach that level of resolve that will cause us to determine to forge ahead at full throttle…whatever the cost.
END TIMES MENTALITY
We need to adopt an End-Times mentality & focus…not because we’re close to being there, but because we are already there! I believe that the next few years ahead will be the trial run & dress rehearsal for the anti-christ…the setting of the stage for “the age” . It’s incredulous to me that in all the decades of hearing, reading & talking about this future time that it is NOW so possible! It used to be like a Tom-&-Jerry-flying-to-the-moon-&-eating-green-cheese fantasy. NOW it’s for real…almost sur-real. We must NOW make a pardigm shift in how we view where we are in history; and what the future holds for us, our nation, and the world.
END TIME EVENTS
Obviously, we observe manifold dynamics transpiring around us almost on a daily basis that serve as “Signs of the Times“. The spiritual & political voids of foundational basics, conviction, and moral fortitude & compass; the disastrous economic unraveling; the hedonistic self-absorption & gratification…all create the need & opportunity for a saviour to ride in on a white steed & rescue us from our distressed situations. Typically that type of situation is the perfect time for a dictator to step in with a supposed benevolent intent. With one hand he giveth; and with the other he taketh away. He gives us a sort of peace & security; and then takes away our God-invested freedoms & individualities. So the stage is NOW being set for the anti-christ to appear & offer us the ultimate solution to our dilemnas.
HEARTS FAILING FROM FEAR - WRONG FOCUS
That’s a great time for us to “…fix our eyes on Jesus, the author (Leader & the Source) & Finisher of our faith…” Some are doing so; but many, maybe most, aren’t. Many people’s lives are totally disintegrating before their eyes, becoming ovewhelmed by fear, worry & anxiety “from looking at the things around them“. 2Peter 3:11, 14 instructs us, “Since all these things are thus in the process of being dissolved, what kind (manner) of person ought (each of) you to be (in the meanwhile) in consecrated and holy behaviour, and devout and godly qualities…eager to be found by Him (at His coming) without spot or blemish, and at peace (in serene confidence, free from fears and agitating passions and moral conflicts).” In other words “How shall we NOW live?” We must NOW believe, as never before, that God really IS in control.
APOCALYPSE - WHAT & WHEN?
With all due respect to the eschatalogical theologians who function as valid gifts to the Body of Christ to keep us appraised of the signs of the times by attempting to figure out the events of the season we’re in & inform us as to their proximity to our Lord return…my calling & gifting is different. Even in terms of living the christian life as a whole, I am not so focused on the rudiments of “theology”. I believe in their importance & necessity, decry our shameful absence of solid biblical knowledge in the modern-day church, and consider myself very sound & balanced in that regard. But that is not my “job description” in bringing the saints into a position of full maturity. My calling & passion is to “equip” in the arena of “cleaning the fish” (like a spiritual surgeon) that have been caught by the evangelists; then turning them over to the pastors & teachers (the internists & long-term care folk) for nurturing & instruction. (Pardon the mixed metaphors.)
ME, & THE END TIMES
So, I’m very interested in End-Time events and am very alert & informed as to what’s happening. But my time & efforts are spent, of necessity and by nature of my calling, on the more practical aspects of “How shall we NOW live?”. So my focus, my passion, my teaching & exhorting are going to be more inward: toward the “what kind of person” we ought to be like “in consecrated and holy behaviour, and devout and godly qualities”, being “…at peace (in serene confidence, free from fears and agitating passions and moral conflicts)”…in our character, our quality of life, our relationship with Jesus, the Father & Holy Spirit; not on the outward events, important as they may be.
“BE”ING, NOT “DO”ING
For decades I have heard it taught, and have done so myself, that the Christian life is more about who we ARE (BEing), rather than what we DO. In our western worldview mindset we are always trying to figure things out; then making sure it’s done by the book. That also makes us result oriented. So eschatologically we’re driven to arrange all the End Time events in their proper sequential order; then constantly watch like a hawk, measuring their fulfillment to see how accurate we were…and maybe the other guy wasn’t. I don’t think that was Jesus’ full intent when He admonished us to “watch & pray”.
It’s so hard to maintain the focus of just “be”ing rather than always being pre-0ccupied with “do”ing…especially in our western culture. And when we do, we have a tendency to become too passive. Yes, even lazy, and irresponsible. It’s a tough balance, and requires vigilance
KINGDOM WITHIN US
Whereas it may be a bit simplistic to say God’s in control, so it’ll all pan out; it may be more in line with the eastern worldview culture of when these Scriptures were written; and when Jesus & the early apostles lived. Luke 17:20-24 illustrates it well, “Asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He replied to them by saying, ‘The Kingdom of God does not come by signs to be observed or with visible display…For behold, the kingdom of God is within you…’” He warned us there would always be those who would get all excited about the manifestations of the kingdom & entice us to go camping with them around these bonfires…all the while losing sight of the real kingdom work being done inside the people there.
BE READY AT ALL TIMES
Hold on man! Aren’t we supposed to see signs & wonders following the true ministry of believers? Isn’t that the way it happened with Jesus, Philip, Paul, Peter, and the rest? Absolutely! And personally, I love to see exciting things happen. But that wasn’t their focus; and it shouldn’t be ours. It all transpired in the course of their just living the life. Acts 3 begins with Peter & John simply walking to the temple to pray, as they did every day. That man was probably there every day as well. But this day was different. God had a plan; and I guess they were in a state of readiness. It probably took them by surprise. But poof! It happened that fast.
10 VIRGINS - Matthew 25:1-13
The difference between the two sets of virgins, and why one group went into the presence of the Bridegroom, was the amount of oil each had. The ones considered wise were conscientious & faithful to plan & prepare for the occasion (“sensible, intelligent, and prudent” says the Amplified Bible). They were responsible. The five considered foolish are listed as being “thoughtless, without forethought”. In other words, they neglected their responsibility…maybe even lazy. But in all probability they were just pre-occupied & distracted with & by their immediate needs….maybe even pursuing selfish interests, rather than taking care of the more important matters.
The quantity of their resources - oil - could very well be the character & quality of that possession. Let me explain. In scripture, most of the time oil refers to the Holy Spirit. I have heard over the past several years reference being made to the necessity & importance of believers disciplining themselves to spend more & more time in seclusion with God, worshipping, praying in the Spirit, meditating & waiting in His presence. Some are claiming that is the only way we will be adequately prepared to deal with what we will be forced to endure in the evil days that lie ahead.
Maybe; maybe not. But it’s something that has resonated within me, & prompted me to start providing an opportunity for men to meet together early in the morning around the communion table to read the scriptures publically, wait, worship, & pray under the Holy Spirit’s direction & the Will of God, the Father; to learn & train together how to empty ourselves, cast ourselves at the feet of Jesus, quiet down, listen, and respond to the Holy Spirit. Interestingly, I didn’t have many takers, or for any prolonged period of time. The early morning hours have always been one of my most favorite times to meet with & commune with the Father.
It’s interesting to note how much prominence the communion table is receiving of late. People are preaching & teaching on the subject with new revelation like I’ve never heard before. Many believers & Christian families are actually practicing this sacrament daily.
It’s also noteworthy that it’s called “The Communion”. Communion is the strongest form of communication. It connotes deep relationship. Often, communication means to express yourself to someone in tangible, understandable terms. Communion is such a deep level of experience and produces such a sense of oneness that the thoughts & feelings don’t even need to be expressed.
THAT’s the quality & quantity of the Holy Spirit OIL that we will need in the End Times. But it won’t just somehow be there when we need it…even though I believe that God does & will give us Grace WHEN we need it, and not before. I believe it could very well be that there is a pre-condition to this Grace. We MUST make the necessary effort in advance; & in a sensitive, responsible & faithful manner to possess that resource. We must put the money in the bank to be able to draw it out when we need it.
So we are challenged to be prepared, wise virgins…rather than foolish ones that coast upon the strong current of our western culture demands. We must make a conscious decision to STOP; seriously consider the alternates & consequences of our present lifestyles; and then outline a course of action that will ensure we are ready when the time comes. That will require an investment of valuable time & effort.
Some are encouraging us to allocate special prayer closets at home or elsewhere so we can lock all distractions out, and hide ourselves away with God for quality communion. For some, it will be in the quiet early hours of the morning before anyone else is up. For others, late in the evening before retiring for the night or in the middle of the night when “…all is calm…Oh Holy night…”. For some mothers the best time will be in the middle of the afternoon when the little gaffers are tucked in for their daily nap.
HOW SHALL WE PREPARE?
Therefore my concentration is not on stock-piling food, & on how we’re going to survive if we don’t take the “mark of the beast”. Some may actually be called to be involved in those efforts and advocate that others be as well. I’m okay with that. God bless them. But my concern is more along the lines of what manner of person we ought to “be“, not “what shall we do?”. In fact, I’m sensing like the Lord may give different marching orders to different people. In any event, my exhortation is for each of us to acquire the type of relationship with the Father that we can say with Jesus, “I do only those things that I see My Father doing.” What will be extremely important for each of us to know, with clarity & assurity, is how God has planned before the foundation of the earth for each us as individuals & families to live…each day, & in every single situation, moment by moment; so we are ready & prepared for ‘whatever’ .
NO “TRIBULATION” BAILOUT!
Thirty-five years ago I came to the conclusion I could not honestly see in Scripture where the saints would escape the Great Tribulation of the End Times. I rather saw the first three & a half years as the culmination of The Great Polarization that we’ve seen transpiring & escalating in the past several years, where satan would unleash his frustration & fury upon the believers. He’s already been furious with God because He kicked him out of Heaven for his insubordination & insurrection. Because he’s had no direct recourse against God he’s been retaliating against Him indirectly by victimizing us, God’s prize creation made in His likeness & image.
SATAN’S FURY & GOD’S MERCY
He will eventually become so fit to be tied (and in the end will be) as he sees himself losing ground with revival sweeping the world and sees his time is running out; that in sheer desperation he will make one last ditch attempt to gain control (Revelation 12:12). In God’s Divine Wisdom & Mercy He eventually steps in to save us & releases His Wrath upon satan and all his cohorts for the remainder three and a half years.
THE GREAT FALLING AWAY
Similarly I have also sensed that part of the Great Falling Away could stem from this erroneous teaching in The Church of the Pre-Tribulation Rapture. Not entirely, but certainly one of the reasons. I can see in all candor, where believers who have been taught & have held on to the concept that we will escape all that mess; that when they find themselves smack in the middle of it all, they will become offended, disallusioned, and angry…with God & those who taught them that they would not experience this onslaught. I don’t blame them. I would too. Many will turn their backs on God & the faith they professed, stating that this is not what they signed up for. I believe they will fall away by the droves.
What’s so frightening about all this is that it’s happening in the very safe, nurturing environment of the Church whose commission is the “perfecting and the full equipping of the saints…toward building up Christ’s Body…that (we might arrive) at really mature manhood, the measure of the stature of the fulness of the Christ and the completeness found in Him. So that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro…” (Ephesians 4:11-16). But instead of preparing the saints to “endure all things”, the enemy has succeeded in using this safe-haven sanctuary for his own diabolical purposes of training believers to be weak-willed, shallow and self-serving, building our lives on sandy foundations rather than on The Rock.
That’s really scary when you consider the consequences of the many that will lose their way (and their salvation?), and our accountability to the Father. Now I’m fully aware that these spiritual leaders are sincere & entirely convinced they have it right. I was taught from childhood by sincere pastors that’s the way it was going to play out. But being sincerely “wrong” has never counted for anything with God. So how is God going to deal with that? Frankly, I don’t know. But I’m beginning to sense alot of concern & pain over the many lives that will be disastrously impacted by all this. We’re talking eternal consequences here, folks! “My God have mercy in us!”
There’s a growing sense of responsibility to sound an alarm. ”Son of man, I have made you a watchman…therefore hear the word at My Mouth and give them warning from Me…his blood will I require at your hand…Yet if you warn…you have delivered yourself…” (Ezekiel 3:17-21)
HOW WILL YOU RESPOND?
In another day & age, believers would suck it up, & endure to the end. Unfortunately, in our present ‘me’, ‘gimme’, ‘instant gratification’ society, there’s not enough fortitude, resolve, and strength of character in our western culture church to see us through. That’s why I writing what I am, like I am. I believe God’s telling me that I’m part of the End Times preparation team. “How shall we Now live?”, so that when that Great & Terrible Day of the Lord comes, we will be found faithful by His Grace & Power because we decided to hang in there for the long haul…whatever. We must develop that Kingdom of God within us so that when the outward results we yearned & prayed for aren’t there, it’ll be enough for us just to Trust Him, for He is Faithful.
BY THEIR (OUR) FRUITS
Matthew 7: 15-20 informs us that the outgrowth of fruit is automatic & natural. What you are is what you get. As believers, in general, our concern & effort should not be in attempting to produce better results on the outside, but to concentrate on developing the inner man to conform to the image of Christ. So as we look ahead to the unknown future, it’s not a matter of being concerned with “How will we THEN live?”, but rather “What do we need to be focusing in on NOW in becoming who we need to be?” “THEN” we will respond “rightly”, naturally, and by the Grace of God.
Pastor Rick Bezet preached a sermon in which he used an illustration of Tom Landry & Roger Staubuck. Apparently Roger was chafing under Landry’s not allowing him to call his own plays. When he finally submitted to the process, & when sometime later the coach did allow him to call his own plays, he was amazed that he was calling the plays exactly the way Tom Landry would normally have. In the process, the two had become so “one” in thought & concept, that it became just an automatic response.
The same can be true in many other arenas as well. Marriage is a good example. After almost 44 years of learning to submit to & please each other it’s not uncommon for Julie & me to speak each other’s minds.
And I believe that’s exactly what God is trying to tell us through “How shall we NOW live?” Our minds & wills need to become so absorbed by the Mind of Christ & Will of God in the here & now as we attempt to “do only those things that the Father is doing”, that when “that great & terrible Day of the Lord” comes, we will automatically think & act exactly the way the Father would want us to.
GOD’S GRACE IS ENOUGH!
This may be difficult for us to wrap our minds, emotions & wills around right now. But let’s at least be open to the option. By all means question it. The Bereans (Acts 17:11) did & were called “honorable”. But please don’t just discard it like that last wrapper from your fast-food sandwich. God may not give us the Grace to go through all that today, because He only gives us Grace when we need it. For now, just trust Him for the Grace to consider the possibility objectively. I would far rather be of this persuasion & be prepared for any eventuality, than to be locked into an escapism mentality and get hit by a Mack truck.
A LESSON FROM HISTORY
One of the characteristics of church history is God’s divine intervention into our affairs at times when we’ve drifted too far off the beaten path. Typically God has placed upon the heart of an individual believer something that was missing or off-base, and that needs to be corrected or brought into alignment with His Word and Will. That resulted in an intense & passionate declaration of the Truth in no uncertain terms. More often than not, over a period of time a number of things happened to diminish the ultimately desired end result, or run the train off the track entirely.
One problem has been the over-emphasis of that particularly specific revealed truth to the exclusion, or near exclusion, of all other truth: resulting in the exclusive isolation of & focus on the personal revelation of truth instead of blending it into the fabric of the entire church belief system & practice. It became what we call a hobby horse; then a movement; finally, a denomination. Instead of it being a flexible, fluid organism, it was rendered stationery by placing it on a concrete foundation, and eventually causing it to deteriorate into a mere organization.
In many cases there developed a sense that since God gave him that special knowledge & commission to deliver to the Body of Christ, he was responsible to keep it pure & unadulterated, protecting the revelation of truth from error. He thus became its guard dog, building a fence, as it were, around it. Unfortunately the fence turned into a barrier, causing division in the Body instead of bringing it into completion, wholeness & maturity as is the mission of spiritual leaders. As a result the very thing God instituted for the good of His Kingdom, the enemy took and perverted it for his evil purposes.
Often, subtly in these kinds of situations, pride sets in as well. And because of the pride, & protective isolation, error crept in. You see, without the pouring of the new wine from one bottle to another (Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors, Teachers) over a period of time & allowing the ‘lees’ to settle, the maturation process to acquire that full-bodied flavor & quality did not occur…so there was impurity, and imbalance. Not necessarily in the message itself. But in the overall desired effect in the Body of Christ.
WORD / FAITH / PROSPERITY MOVEMENT
I believe this applies to the Word/Faith movement. There were definite truths of faith; authority of the believer; positive, scripturally based thinking; persistence; etc., that needed to be addressed, emphasized & practiced. The church had become very anemic, timid, & wishy-washy. God revealed the need, & raised up some powerful voices to declare these truths. But some of the inaccuracies & mis-emphasis that crept in over time, in my opinion, will be another cause for many believers to give up the faith because of disappointment, discouragement & disillusionment in these Last Days.
I see two concerns; and one is related to the other.
The first is the mis-application of “The Word”. I really don’t think, that as a whole, there is a lack or understand; just usage. Just as a point of reference, let me refresh the two main root meanings of “Word”: logos, meaning the general revelation of God & His Will for us as contained in the Canon of Scripture; & rhema, the specifically inspired revelation of God’s Will for us in & for a specific situation, based on the general provision of the logos.
Where the mistake is made is when the believer takes a general provision of scripture (logos) and applies it to a specific need carte blanche, and then confesses over & over again that the need is taken care of, all the while ignoring that the need actually exists…without receiving a rhema word first. I understand that “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not (yet) seen.” Hebrews 11:1. But things don’t necessarily materialize because we believe in a particular scripture that assures us it’s available to us, or because we repeatedly declare it as some sort of magical mantra that it is so when it is obviously not so.
As an illustration, let’s consider someone with a sickness, disease or some form of physical ailment. The scriptures predicted that on the grounds of what Jesus would suffer, by His stripes we would be healed (Isaiah 53:5). James then instructs those who are sick to call for the elders of the church, have them anoint them with oil, lay hands on them, & pray. We are then told that the “The prayer of faith shall save the one who is sick.” (James 5:13-16).
I believe we act based on two counts. One, in obedience; because that’s what God told us we should do. Two, out of faith, with total assurance that what we pray for SHALL manifest. The act of obedience doesn’t necessarily mean or assure that we will be healed. That’s still hope; & confidence in God: that if He said that’s what He wants to do for us, that’s what we can expect to happen. It’s a matter of exercising the normal measure of faith we have; and hope God will heal.
Once that is done, we can’t necessarily then go around saying we are healed…UNLESS there has been a definite manifestation that makes it obvious or a certain impartation of the “gift of faith” in the process so that we know that we know that we know. That impartation is rhema. It’s God saying, I can, I’m willing, I’m able; and I WILL do it.” But just because He says He wants to heal & can heal, doesn’t mean He always will heal. And there’s evidence of that all time. Now we can blame it on a lack of faith on the part of the recipient, and put them on a guilt trip, or something else. But we need to not be too quick to pray, or too presumptuous as to the outcome of that prayer.
Two things about calling the elders. One, is there’s a possibility that if WE don’t have the rhema gift of faith, maybe one of them will. Two, you’ll notice verse 16 brings the subject of personal sin into the situation. Sin may have caused that ailment or sickness. Repentance may be necessary to release healing. If that’s the case, you can confess till the cows come home. If it’s on God’s agenda that the sin be confessed, repented of, and cleansed; no amount to confessing will effect healing.
In the same vein, there may be something else God wants to say in regards to the sickness & it’s healing. There may be a timing issue. Or He may have a particular plan of action that would require a process. That could be revealed through the elders through a gift of knowledge or wisdom. Or they may discern a specific attack or assignment from the enemy that needs to be addressed. It’s not always a simple, cut-and-dried approach. There may be a whole lot more underneath the surface than what meets the eye.
You see, God is sovereign! And even if He promised something, He has the right to withhold the result if there is an impeding problem, or if He sees in His wisdom & compassion that doing so is in both His & the recipients best interest. The real serious issue here is that if we take a logos word & turn it into a rhema word on our own without specifically hearing from God first; then demand that God has to respond the way we determined & declared we want it done, we can actually be guilty of stripping God of His sovereignty, and setting ourselves up as sovereign in His place.
Now that’s scary business. And especially if it all affects a host of believers adversely. As in the case of a belief in a pre-tribulation rapture, when Christians are promised a bill of goods under false premises (and again in most cases it’s not done intentionally to deceive), and the results aren’t forth-coming: they become devastated. It shatters their faith; doubt & disallusionment sets in; and satan moves in for the kill. It’s a devilishly strategic set-up. And many have inadvertently fallen for the bait.
KINGDOM THEOOGY / MANIFESTED SONS OF GOD
This terminology may not be familiar to some of you, and for many believers it wasn’t an issue; so very few talked about it. Now, when Last Day, End Times awareness is keener & more prevalent, it’s starting to pop up quite often; but not across the board. Every once in a while I’ll be listening to someone preaching/teaching, and a tiny red flag flares up in my spirit…ever so slightly, so that I could almost ignore it. But I’ve learned to pay attention to it. And it’s been important that I do.
KINGDOM PEOPLE
So what is all this? In my estimation, Kingdom Theology is more innocuous, less dangerous, or critical. Manifested Sons of God is a more serious version of the first. In a general sense we, as believers, are all ‘kingdom people’. Whether right or wrong, some who feel like they are more acutely tuned into what God is saying to their generation, consider themselves to be kingdom people in a specific sense. Most who feel that way are quite humble in that assessment and just accept that as a simple, obvious fact. However, there is always the risk of falling into the trap of elitism & spiritual pride.
AUTHORITY OF THE BELIEVER
Part of being a child of the Kingdom of God is the ‘authority of the believer’. There are a lot of ramifications to this doctrine. But for now, suffice it say that what we mean by this, is that every believer has the right & privilege of taking authority in Jesus Name over demonic forces & situations in our lives & the world around us. The distinction is that we do NOT necessarily have the power in and of ourselves, but we can exercise the authority of God over these evil forces by invoking the Name of Jesus & releasing the power of God over them because of what Jesus accomplished on the cross & His resurrection in satisfying the Justice of God by paying the price for sin, and destroying the power of ‘sin, death, hell & the grave’.
Now that’s a whole big mouthful crammed into a short paragraph, but it’s meant to be just a terse summary for now. Again this is accepted by most believers as just an obvious tenant of The Faith. However, there are a couple of extremes. One is that we do not possess either the power of God or the authority of God. Many or most of this persuasion believe that all that happens to us and in this world is God’s method of growing us up in Him & developing the character of Christ within us. Thus, when they pray for needs they are forever careful to make certain to offer a disclaimer that it be done, IF it be His will.
Others believe that, whereas God makes “all things work together for good to and for those who love God & are called according to His design and purpose” (Romans 8:28), that it is in God’s plans & provisions that we can actually remove the enemy from situations in our lives, cancel his assignments, destroy & reverse what he has set in motion, and release the power of God into that area to bring healing & restoration…in Jesus Name, of course.
AUTHORITY: TO WHAT DEGREE
Where there may be a problem is in our understanding & conviction as to what extent that authority can & should be exercised. Some believe that we cannot & should not rebuke the devil personally, but just declare, “The Lord Jesus rebuke you”, according to Jude 9. But they at least do take some authority. Others believe in rebuking satan & his demon minions in Jesus Name, but they limit the arena of how far we can go. Still others are convinced that they possess the right & responsibility to reverse everything in absolutely every facet of society…even to the extent of garnering complete control of everything period; thus preparing the way for the return of Jesus Christ.
This last extreme view, in my opinion, could be classified as the stance of the Manifested Sons of God, though I’m no authority on the specifics. Some claim that this commission was given us in God’s original instruction to mankind in Genesis 1:26, “…and let them have complete authority over the fish…birds…beasts, and over all of the earth…and over everything that creeps upon the earth”. Many believe that we indeed do have authority to subdue created creatures in the daily provision of food, even over the atmospheric elements of nature (as Jesus did in settling the wind & the waves), and we also have authority over satanic intrusions into our affairs (Mark 16:17-18; Luke 10:19…and many others), but that they are in error to stretch God’s command to include taking control over areas God never intended.
Otherwise, we might be just as guilty as some others at Christ’s initial appearance on earth believing & desiring Him to be the political deliverer He was never intended to be. We know we are the “salt” & “light” in the world, and that the Kingdom of God released in & through us in godly character & divine authority can, should, & will effect change in our society. But the question is, “How much of our help does God really want or need to subjugate every aspect of our society so that He can come & possess a perfect world?
Or is there a limitation to what we can and are supposed to do; and Jesus is going to come & do what only He can & was designed by the Father to do: save us from the ruthless savagery of the enemy for three and a half years, and pour out judgment on him for another three and a half year period, until all is subdued & finally completely under His feet?”
Some believe that anyone who adheres to the Church experiencing the Great Tribulation is automatically part of The Manifested Sons of God. Again that’s painting with a very wide brush & profiling believers unfairly. There is has been a vast move away from Pre-trib over the past years. Only a fraction could be considered belonging to that extreme fringe.
DECADENT SELF-CENTERED LIFESTYLES
Another reason, I believe, for the Great Falling Away will be our horribly undisciplined, impure, unChrist-like lifestyles. Most of us living in the lap of luxury are fat, lazy & half asleep, and display an embarrassingly poor representation of what the Bride ought to be looking like as we near the end of time as we know it. She is nowhere; and no way the pure & spotless virgin Jesus is coming for. In fact we are a slovenly, promiscuous mess.
WORSHIP / PRAYER / 10 VIRGINS
I believe that the more we discipline ourselves to spend time in the presence of Jesus, around the communion table, worshipping, waiting…the more we will be filled with the oil of the Holy Spirit; and the more ready we will be for Him at His “Second Coming”. We will, in fact, be part of the “five wise virgins”.
Those who continue to live in a “business as usual” attitude & mode…selfishly, carelessly, neglectfully…will like the ‘five foolish virgins” become depleted, bankrupt, empty…with no resources left for that critical Day of the Lord. Like Samson, they will suddenly wake up, shake themselves, and not know that their strength is gone: too weak to stand…since they did not do all to stand.
HOPE / RESOLVE
A lady called into Rush Limbaugh’s program saying she was totally discouraged over the inauguration, feeling like President Bush had been disrespected; and that she was fearful for the future. Upon wakening the next morning she decided that she was going to take matters into hand & do what she could to make a difference to prepare for what would lie ahead. As a token of that resolve & strength she decided she could & would quit smoking, there & then.
I don’t know what her long-term results have been, but her attitude & action definitely describe what we all should be thinking & doing. We are being given a “wake-up call”. Things are bad. And they’re going to get worse. But God IS in control! It’s time for us to get serious about cleaning ourselves up & serving God. Let’s tune in for the game plan; then go out & work in the Kingdom.
FINANCES
In the past we’ve been able to track successful business models, project economic activity & plan financial investments. Not so in the future. Apart from God we will NOW not have the remotest idea what will be a sound investment, and what will end up in disaster. In the fall of 2008 many lost a goodly share of their mutual fund investments. Real estate took a serious hit in parts of the country. What’s going to be our best bet for 2009 and beyond? Who know? God knows! That’s the reason we need to check in constantly with Him to be certain we’re on His track.
EUROPEAN FORMULA
Practically speaking, we have never learned the true formula for financial diversification. Astoundingly, we’ve not been aware of the “European Formula”. I heard of it for the first time in 1990, and never again. The problem is that a lot of our diversification revolves around paper…investing in different forms/vehicles of paper. Well, paper is paper. And if we have a major collapse, it ALL goes down the toilet. What the European Formula suggests is dividing assets into four distinctively separate categories: 1. Real Estate; 2. Stock Market; 3. Money Market – which is related to the former, but affords fluidity; and 4. Precious Metals, such Gold, Silver, etc. This way you have a true balance; and the best-case scenario protection against the fluctuations in the economy. In days to come, precious metals may be the only medium of exchange for goods & services, apart from bartering. So it deserves our serious, objective consideration in our preparation. Several years ago I rolled over a small 401K into a gold/silver IRA, and in the past year the value of gold doubled. Just FYI.
In these days, even the European Formula may not be the safest method. That’s why I believe the Lord is saying we need to be checking in with Him constantly as to what HE knows is the best course of action…and it may be different on a day to day basis. I don’t recommend we do this without regard to all the conventional wisdom that serves as our foundation, “throwing the baby out with the bathwater”. But I believe we need to be flexible & learn how to listen more closely & constantly to specific instructions from our Heavenly Father & Senior Partner…consciously bringing it to the forefront of our thinking & asking Him if there’s any information we need to receive from Him at that time.
And in all of this I need to add a disclaimer that I am not a licensed financial counselor/planner and am not giving professional advice on investments. I’m merely sharing a spiritual message from the Lord as it relates to our finances & “How shall we NOW live?” in that arena in these very unusual, historic & cataclysmic times.
THE RWANDAN CONNECTION
God sent me to Rwanda in April ‘09 with a message of forgiveness & healing of their wounded emotions. However, while I was there, I believe the Lord showed me that Rwanda has a message for the United States: “If you do not wake up and understand what’s happening in your nation, you too will experience a genocide. You are not too big &/or too powerful for it to happen.”
In fact, if the truth be known we are probably about 95% there already. And with the exponential curve we’re on, if won’t be long.
Let me relate a bit of the history of Rwanda; and then bring it home to us.
Rwanda never had a tribal society, but was rather comprised of three separate ‘ethnic’ groups that co-existed peacefully for over 500 years without the typical serious tribal in-fighting that is so common in other African countries.
It wasn’t until the Belgians colonized this nation that things changed. First, they sold off portions of the country to facillitate control. Next they fabricated lies about each other as ethnics groups (including the untruth that they were actually tribes, one superior, another inferior) to cause division & strife, and justify their actions to bring in military force…again to control the people.
That didn’t, and couldn’t have happened overnight since there was a long history of peaceful co-existence, inter-marriage, etc. So they embarked on a subtle brain-washing strategy to plant seeds of doubt, dissention, comparison, suspicion, class (tribal) envy & jealousy…which always leads to anger, hatred, rage, and eventually murder.
All you have to do is look at the story of Israel’s King Saul of the Old Testament vs the newly God-ordained King David. For those who do not understand this diabolic, satanic strategy, the process begins by stirring the pot with the comparisons, suspicions, envies. These are all demonic entities sent out on assignment. Then when he gets it cooking real good, he sets a strongman over the situation named jealousy; who then starts calling in the the special forces of anger, hatred, rage…which eventually escalates into murder.
Study any romantic triangle involvements, and you can clearly trace this progression.
In Rwanda, it took two generations for this dastardly laid egg to hatch. But when it finally cracked open, all hell broke loose to where relatives, friends, neighbors and business associates attacked & killed each other in total demonic fury that defied any rational sense or explanation.
Six people were slaughtered per minute, so that in a matter of weeks nearly a million fellow-countrymen lost their lives, countless women & girls were raped, and 440,000 children were orphaned. The nation was totalled decimated.
One woman who was gang-raped by her neighbor friends, and whose husband & baby were slain by machettes before her eyes, describes the men as having glazed-oved eyes & with demonic leers on their faces. There’s only one explanation of what that was all about.
What about the good old U.S. of A.?
Well, we were established as a Godly nation based of Biblical principles; but Christianity was never instituted as a national religion. That’s a whole ‘nutter story. The founding fathers saw the error of this in history & steered clear of it. But, they did establish it as a Christian nation, on Christian principles from the BIble. There is absolutely no doubt about that, as historical proof abounds regardless of what critics will try to espouse.
However, we have now undergone a very similar deception process for two generations in our country…as transpired in Rwanda. It started in the 1930’s with Horace Mann and the Humanist Manifesto. He infiltrated our public schools with the lies & false religion of secular humanism. Our children were brain-washed. They grew into adults. And each generation became more deceived.
The 10 Commandments, the Bible, Prayer, the National Anthem…were all systematically, in time, taken out of our schools. It didn’t happen overnight; but now, 70-75 years later, many in our nation are taken to court & jailed for believing, saying, & acting out the very principles this country was founded on.
It’s appalling! And who would have thought it would ever come to this. Our minds reel with the absurdities of what our leaders are saying & doing! It’s psycho-babble! And we’re almost there! Where? National Genocide! In the U.S.A.!
“You’re crazy!”, you say. “No way!” I wish I were wrong. And I’ll thank God for having Mercy on us, if I am. But I don’t think so. My heart is sick as I see what is unfolding before our very eyes. And most of us are as blind as bats. Because we too have been deceived over the long haul. And we can’t see it coming.
Allow me to make this disclaimer, however: “BUT GOD!” Historically, prophets spoke out in warning and judgment from God to their generation. Sometimes what they prophecied came to pass; sometimes, when the people repented & called on God for mercy, He relented and changed His mind…as amazing as that is.
A case in point that most of us think of automatically, is Jonah the prophet, sent to Nineveh with this type of message. But he refused to go because he knew what would happen if the people repented. God would change His mind, the judgment wouldn’t take place, and he’d look like a fool. So he ran in the other direction.
I do not consider myself to be a “prophet” of that caliber. I am a teacher with a prophetic gifting. Most of the time it manifests in my teaching, counseling and prayer ministry. I typically do not receive message from God for the nation or world…just in the context of practical minstry. However, over the last several years the Lord has given me very specific words for our nation.
The first was after the elections of November 2006. The Lord told me that the next two years would be the most critical of our entire history as a nation. He said that our focus was off: we were looking to politics as the solution to our problems and needs. IF we would repent & shift our allegiance to GOD as our Source, we would experience a national revival, and things would change dramatically for the better. IF we would not, or could not make that shift, we would be plunged into persecution, forcing us to our knees in repentance…which would also produce revival; but not in the manner we would choose.
WE DIDN’T DO IT! During the campaign & voting of the 2008 elections we were obviously still fixated on the temperal process. Our pocketbook was more important than scriptural principles. We voted economy instead of morality. That night, November 4, at 10 p.m., God gave me this assignment & message of “How Shall We Now Live?” as a preparation for the End Times. We were now entering the season of persecution - even into the era of The Great Tribulation.
I did not sense the same option as two years before. I believe we have sealed our fate. We are too entrenched in deception; we are too shallow as believers; and we are too commited to a worldly lifestyle. We must be brought to our knees to be brought to our senses. It the only possible way. BUT GOD! We can’t discount that. He is still Sovereign; He can still relent if He chooses to; and He can still deliver us. That’s our only hope.
Following, I will descibe a possible scenario as to how events might, or could play out in the next few years…
