Years ago, I was senior pastor of a church in Pensacola, Florida. The Pro-life movement was heating up and I wanted to rally our people to help save the unborn. Christians from many churches and para-church ministries were protesting at our local abortion clinics. At one point there may have been 5000 people in the streets representing a wide spectrum of the body of Christ in our area. Hopefully, some that were contemplating abortion turned aside to other, better choices. As time went on, a small minority of radical pro-lifers began to shout horrible and hateful things not only to the abortionists, but also to those entering the clinic seeking an abortion. Due to these people, who were a very small minority, the atmosphere got very rough and poisonous. As a pastoral leader, I could no longer encourage my people to be a part of this effort which started so nobly. I pulled our people off the protest lines and away from the clinics. I was criticized for doing this, but not too long afterward a gunman murdered an abortion Doctor. Another abortionist would be gunned down in the not-too-distant future. These crimes greatly shocked our community, negatively affected the pro-life movement in the nation, and almost killed the Prolife effort in our area. I came to the conclusion during this era that has stuck with me and I believe will serve Christians well in the future: the work of Christ must be done in the spirit (attitude) of Christ. Scripture says “the wrath of a man does not work the will of God.” I understand that there is such a thing as righteous indignation and bold confrontation of wickedness and evil, but great care has to be exercised by Christians in general and pastoral leaders in particular to discern what spirit is activating an individual, group, or movement. The work of Christ must be done in the spirit of Christ! I was grieved at the recent Washington Tea Party to see some of the signs that were so slanderous, hateful, and flat-out ugly regarding our president. I do not support most of his policies, and I pray fervently for his true conversion, but I can say as a veteran minister of our Lord that some of the signs were not of Christ! If an unbeliever were carrying that sign it would be one thing, no believer should manifest hatred and contempt toward another human being.

Jesus once said, “Beware of the leaven of Herod.” Herod, of course, was the political leader of Galilee where Jesus did most of his Ministry. There was a group called the Herodians who felt like the best course of action for the Jewish people in the area was to accommodate and even compromise with Herod and his policies. Jesus warned that this type of political association (without the proper spiritual foundation) would be sinful and destructive. Every Christian needs to realize that there are definite limits to political involvement and to what politics can accomplish. Without an adequate spiritual foundation, it can be vanity and a chasing after the wind. John Adams, the second president of our country, said that our Constitution was totally inadequate for the government of irreligious people. I believe in our Constitution! But it cannot do the job alone with a population that is living in defiance to the God of the Bible. What is needed, and what we must have if we are to safeguard our freedoms and our heritage, is a genuine spiritual revolution. I am not talking about taking up arms or an Islamic style take-over the government like happened in Iran. I am talking is something beyond renewal, beyond revival as we’ve known it; a spiritual revolution that affects the masses and eventually changes institutions through true conversion to Jesus Christ and commitment to His way of life, individually and corporately.

Socially and culturally, England was a mess at the turn of the 19th century. Urbanization, cheap gin, many social problems, an ineffective Christianity, and other things had brought England into a terrible state. Across the channel, the French Revolution had turned into a massive bloodbath and ideological craziness. Would England go the same way? It might have, but God sent a spiritual revolution through the work of the Spirit in the Ministry of the Wesleys and George Whitfield. Thousands of other unknown Christians would pray and work to bring about a revolution of the most Glorious kind. No bloodshed. Wonderful social changes. Millions eventually would be truly converted to Christ and change the fabric of English society and culture. What an example for us to ardently pray for and to work for as God begins to move. We’re living in a very dynamic time of American history, with many strong crosscurrents, and many compelling voices beckoning us to move our country into a better place. Which path will you, will we take? Without a spiritual revolution, it will not work.

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It is from God’s Word, “hidden in the heart,” that the Holy Spirit selects the Living, faith-inspiring Scripture to become a Rhema word to us and others (So says W.E.Vine, the great GREEK Scholar.) And from the stored Word can flow life-giving ministry although no Bibles are allowed in a situation. Consider this testimony from a veteran Christian worker in India,”Storyteller Ashesa (was) holding up a charred page from a Bible that he picked out of the ashes of a church that was burned in the Orissa riots.
During August and September extremist Hindu groups offered money, food and alcohol to mobs to kill Christians and destroy their homes in the eastern India state of Orissa. Now 50,000 believers are homeless, ten thousand of them surviving in primitive government relief camps. Sixty believers were killed and close to 90 men are still reported missing and may be dead in the forest.

In the midst of this turmoil the storytellers are proving that a Bible hidden in a storyteller’s heart cannot be burned or taken away. Even though they can’t carry their printed Bibles because of the danger, they have continued to go out sharing God’s Word as usual.”
In fast moving disasters, in situations of oppression and persecution, you may not have the time or opportunity to consult an outward, written Bible. Do you have any Word of God accurately stored in your hearts…what a huge difference it may make to you and those around you. In closing, I believe it is a characteristic of the spirit of Antichrist to try to keep the Word of Scripture from God’s people, or if it is found in their possession, to make them pay severely. In a worst case scenario, do you have the Word in your heart? Now let me challenge you to begin 2009 with some memory of key portions of God’s Word, the Bible.

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HOW TO LIVE WITH DIVINE PURPOSE IN A
TIME OF DIVINE JUDGMENT
In Psalm 11:3 we read, “If the foundations are
destroyed what can the righteous do?” The moral
and spiritual foundations of this country are being
destroyed at break-neck speed. What then is the
godly remnant to do? We could wring our hands in
despair and grow cold. We could blame God for
being unfaithful to His Word. We could flee to some
remote place and hang on until Jesus comes in the
clouds. But these are not appropriate responses in a
time of apostasy and judgment. God’s redeemed
people are to rise up, put their faces into the wind
and not only survive – but actually thrive!
The following directives are absolutely essential
for redeeming the time during a season of judgment.
Let us heed them all and be ready for even the
worse case scenario.
1. Be an intercessor, a gap-stander in prayer
for the church, the nation, for friends, relatives
and for souls.
While no revival should ever be despised, no
matter how limited or shallow it may appear, I do
believe that we need to pray for a specific kind of
visitation at this juncture in history. Richard Owen
Roberts has said that there are basically two kinds
of revivals; experience-centered ones and Word-
centered ones. Both have their place in God’s sover-
eign plan. What we need now is a powerful Word-
centered revival where a host of men like Elijah,
Jeremiah, John the Baptist, Paul, Martin Luther,
John Wesley, Jonathan Edwards or Dwight L. Moody
would expound the Word of God in depth with great
authority, preaching sin and grace, the Law and the
Gospel with a strong call to repent and get right with
God. We need revival preachers with a divine
radicalness, whose lives are humble and broken
before God with no carnal agenda or baggage, men
who will fearlessly interpret the times and say pub-
licly on national television, “The reason we have all
these natural catastrophes is because God is judg-
ing our sins. The reason we have the AIDS epidem-
ic is because of sexual perversion, the cure for
which is not AZT or any other drug but rather repen-
tance before God!”
Because morality has so drastically deteriorated in
this country, the last generation has grown up with
insensitive, callous and even seared consciences.

There is little or no fear of God in their hearts. In
order to cut through this thick layer of ignorance,
unbelief and pride anointed revivalists must wield the
Word of God with full force calling a spade a spade
even at the risk of their lives. In America today two
such preachers come to mind: Mario Murillo, an
hispanic evangelist from California, and Pastor John
Hagee from San Antonio, Texas. Because of Pastor
Hagee’s fearless, biblical preaching, the devil is not
very happy. Recently, a demonized man came into
his church on a Wednesday evening, ran toward the
pulpit shouting evil threats, brandished a pistol and
fired six times at this mighty man of God. But he was
not killed, not even wounded. All six bullets missed
him completely. Three went on one side of him and
three on the other as if an angel had purposely
deflected them. An audio recording of this episode
was played on a television interview with Pastor
Hagee. May God by His sovereign Spirit raise up a
host of such men in this hour! A mushy, soft-sell,
seeker sensitive approach just won’t cut it.
Let us faithfully pray for souls. The culture may well
be irredeemable but souls are not. In a time of judg-
ment for sin God still desires to extend mercy to all
who would repent and receive Christ as personal
Lord and Savior. (I Tim. 2:4, II Pet. 3:9) Do you have
a list of specific people you are praying for on a daily
basis? I have a list of friends and relatives that num-
bers more than fifty. I pray for the Holy Spirit to call,
gather, enlighten and sanctify them. I pray for the
precious blood of Jesus to keep them from all the
ploys and snares of the devil. I pray for God’s angels
to protect them so that they do not die before hear-
ing a clear presentation of the Gospel which alone
can save them for eternity.
One more thing, God will spare intercessors in
times of judgment. Read Ezekiel 9:3-1 1.
2. Be a member of a local church where the
whole counsel of God is preached and taught
and where the Holy Spirit is present, honored
and obeyed.
In a land filled with churches that cater to and
produce both conventional and cultural Christians
(according to George Barna’s categories), no true
saint of the Lord will be prepared for times of judg-
ment if he remains in a dead church. Find a church
where you and your family will be spiritually safe and
where you can joyfully bring your unsaved friends
and loved ones to hear the Word of God and get
saved. Recently I talked to an elderly Lutheran lady
who said, “I often come home from church feeling
worse than I did before I went. The messages are so
barren and shallow. There is no life or uplift like years
ago.” I say, does the Lord want living chicks to remain
under a dead cluck hen forever? I think not!
3. Christian men need to be faithful priests in
their homes.
What does it mean to be a faithful priest? Live a
godly life before your wife and children week in and
week out. Pray for each one of them every day.
Minister God’s Word to the family collectively and to
each member privately giving wise counsel and
strong encouragement. In short, build an ark of
safety for your clan as a place of protection in an evil
world under judgment. Get involved in Promise
Keepers. Invite your sons and men from your church
to attend an event in a big football stadium in a city
near you. Be willing to invest time and money to do
it.
4. Ask God for a gift of faith for divine protec-
tion as His judgments are unleashed on the land.
Many sincere believers don’t want to hear any-
thing about living in a time of judgment because they
are expecting to be raptured out of this world before
such things happen. To me this is an escapist men-
tality. God has judged men and nations since the
beginning of time and will continue to do so whether
Jesus returns tomorrow or a hundred years from
now. The Bible says God will protect His own in the
midst of apostasy and judgment. (II Pet. 2:4-9) Think
how God rescued Lot and his daughters from a city
under judgment (Sodom and Gomorrah). Think how
God preserved the Israelites in a national judgment.
They were perfectly safe in Goshen while all of
Egypt was devastated by the 10 plagues. (Ex. 10:23)
Think how God protected Noah and his family in the
ark in a worldwide judgment. Can’t the same God
protect His people today, even in America, from
famine, sword and plague? Indeed He can and will.
It remains for us to pray for, believe for and receive
such divine protection and preservation. In some
cases the Lord might lead us to move to some other
city or state. This is why husbands and fathers need
to be in tune with heaven so they will know where
the Lord may be directing them. The safest place is
always in the center of God’s will wherever that may
be geographically. For Lot it was in Zoar. (Gen.
19:22) For Israel it was Goshen. For Noah it was in
a smelly, dank boat on choppy waters!
5. Maintain a holy hatred for sin as society
becomes increasingly more wicked lest we
become desensitized and indifferent toward evil.
In this regard Robert Bork in his book Slouching
Towards Gomorrah writes, “As behavior worsens,
the community adjusts its standards so that conduct
once thought reprehensible is no longer deemed so.”
(p. 3) Has this not happened in our society with sins
such as abortion, homosexuality, fornication, adul-
tery, pornography, drug use, divorce, dishonesty and
the like? The entertainment industry approves, if not
glorifies, these behaviors every hour of the day in
literature, records, movies and television. It was said
that Lot in Sodom “was tormented (vexed) in his
righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and
heard.” (II Pet. 2:8) We and our families should be,
too!
It is a time to “be angry and sin not?’ Quoting from
Our Daily Bread, “Ephesians 4:26 makes it clear that
holy anger has a place in the Christian’s life. In fact,
the lack of it could indicate spiritual weakness. The
Pulpit Commentary says that `anger arms the pas-
sions quickly against evil, and operates with the
force and effectiveness of an instinct. If it is mingled
with malice, it becomes sinful; but if it is associated
with a holy disposition (the new nature under the
Spirit’s control), it is safe and good. Jesus exhibited
both anger (for sin) and love (for people) … Under the
inspiration of a holy nature, anger may flash forth
with a marvelous power against wickedness, untruth
and dishonor. The person who is not angry at evil
lacks enthusiasm for good.” Mario Murillo and Pastor
John Hagee manifest holy anger in their preaching.
6. Work hard in an honest job, get out of debt
and save all you can.
This is to suggest that God’s people need to have
their economic houses in order in a time of national
judgment. Larry Burkett has been telling us this for
years. Recently Gary Kah, a reputable spokesman
on endtime events, offered this advice in a news bul-
letin:
“With the stock market now overvalued by a rate of
3 to 1 and more middle class investors active in the
market than ever before, the current market has
already shattered most of the records set in 1929,
prior to the Great Crash. There is no doubt in my
mind that we are being set up for a collapse. The only
question is when and how? The answer is: probably
when the greatest number of investors and funds
have been drawn into the market.
“In spite of the current unprecedented upward
spiral of the Dow Jones, the risks far outweigh poten-
tial gains. Therefore, we continue to urge people not
to be greedy, and to get out while they can. Use your
profits to get out of debt, investing any remaining
funds in stable, non-security items such as rental
property, land, some precious metals, etc., – any-
thing but stocks and bonds.”
7. Live conservatively in order to have the
means to help those in need, especially family
members, missionaries and the poor.
Let’s face it, the government welfare system is col-
lapsing. This means that the church is going to have
to pick up the slack beginning with its own people
even as the Word of God says. (Is. 58:7, Gal. 6:10,
I Tim. 5:3,4,8,16, I John 3:16-1 8, James 1:27;2:14-
18) Will we be willing to take relatives and aged par-
ents into our homes? Will we be willing to extend
short or long-term hospitality to people that are in
personal crisis, be that marital, family, economic,
health or whatever? In many parts of the world today
several families live in one dwelling. As judgments
increase in America, we may be faced with similar or
worse circumstances.
Last year my daughter Jeanne and her husband
Walter added on to their house in order to make
room for Walter’s aged parents to live with them, yet
have their own privacy. What a testimony this has
been to their friends and what an absolute delight to
Grandpa and Grandma who now feel secure and
enjoy regular fellowship with their children and
grandchildren. This should be happening more and
more, especially if we pay heed to Paul’s exhortation
in I Timothy 6:17-1 9, “Command those who are rich
in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put
their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put
their hope in God, who richly provides us with every-
thing for our enjoyment. Command them to do good,
to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and
willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure
for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming
age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly
life.”
8. Pray for godly mates for your children and
grandchildren.
Why did Jesus say, “Remember Lot’s wife”? (Luke
17:32) The obvious answer is that in a time of judg-
ment we may not be willing to part with the familiar,
the treasured and the convenient and fail to obey
God when He calls us to flee for our lives. Lot’s wife
turned back while fleeing Sodom and turned into a
pillar of salt. (Gen. 19:26) If our believing sons,
daughters, grandsons and granddaughters are going
to be safe in the days ahead they must not be
unequally yoked to unbelievers in marriage. (II Cor.
6:14,15) They need to have mates who will share the
same commitment to Jesus and His Word and quick-
ly obey the Holy Spirit for the sake of their own spiri-
tual and physical welfare – whatever that entails! To
survive in days of stress there will need to be great
spiritual harmony in Christian marriages and fami-
lies.
As parents and grandparents we should be praying
with our children for mates of God’s choosing. We
need to make a list of essential qualities in a mar-
riage partner and then covenant with God to bring
such people into the lives of our unmarried children.
This will raise their expectations and impart faith for
such a provision. In a day of live-in relationships, no-
fault divorces and rampant marital infidelity, we can ill
afford to “let nature take its course.” Remember Lot’s
wife!
9. Be a witness for Jesus in all situations in life;
at home, at church, at work, at school and at play
(I Pet. 3:15,1 6)
Jesus faulted the Pharisees because they knew
how to predict the weather but were unable to inter-
pret the signs of the times. (Matt. 16:2-4) One of the
most effective ways to witness to the lost is to inter-
pret events in the world in the light of Bible prophecy.
This is what Hal Lindsey did in the 1970s with his
book The Late Great Planet Earth. Think of the inter-
est this book generated among unbelievers and how
many were saved by just reading it. As the end swift-
ly comes upon us we will have far more prophetic
evidence in world affairs, weather patterns and social
trends that indicate that Jesus’ return is imminent.
Would you be able to give a clear Gospel witness
if a friend at work were to ask how he or she could
get right with God? Begin by telling them that receiv-
ing the person of Christ into their hearts is a far
more important issue than joining a church or
denomination. Then share with them these four spir-
itual laws and the Bible verses that go with them: (1)
God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life.
(John 3:16;10:lOb), (2) Man is sinful and separated
from God. (Rom. 3:20;6:23), (3) Jesus Christ is
God’s only provision for man’s sin. (Rom. 5:8, II Cor.
5:21), (4) We must receive Jesus Christ as our per-
sonal Savior and Lord. (Rev. 3:20) Be willing to
answer their questions and, if they are ready, ask if
you can lead them in a prayer of repentance and
acceptance of Christ.

10. Live with your eye on eternity (not on the
American Dream or even saving America.)
Jesus said, “When these things begin to come to
pass, then look up and lift up your heads for your
redemption draws near.” (Luke 21:28) Paul gave a
similar word in Colossians 3:2,4, “Set your affection
on things above, not on things on the earth … When
Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then you shall
also appear with him in glory.” Daily anticipating the
coming of the Lord will release a holy joy that the
world knows nothing about. (Neh. 8:10, Hab.3:17,18,
Rom. 14:17) The joy of the Lord will be a secret
weapon for survival when God wraps up this present
age. Now is the time to get the “oil of joy” in our
hearts in full measure as did the five wise virgins in
Jesus’ parable in Matthew 25:1-13.
I firmly believe one of the primary reasons we have
had four major revivals in this century is to get the
church filled with the presence and power of the Holy
Spirit to prepare us to face and live through the last
days with faith, joy and victory. Are you ready to live
with divine purpose in a time of divine judgment? Is
your family? Is your local church? Is your denomina-
tion? Now is the time to get ready He that hath an
ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches!
Even so come Lord Jesus. Amen.

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There is a hope that will never disappoint–the hope in the Lord. He will never leave us and He will never fail us. Christianity has been given the greatest hope the world has ever heard–Jesus is going to return to rule over the earth. He will establish His Throne upon righteousness and justice. Not only will everyone be treated fairly, but He is going to restore the original paradise that the earth was intended to be. The lion will lay down with the lamb; children will be able to play with cobras; and there will be no more mourning, dying, crying, or pain in all the earth.

There is no utopian hope or hope given in any other religion that comes even close to matching what we have been given. It is true, and will surely come to pass, just as surely as the Word of the Lord is true and always comes to pass. As Psalm 96:10-13 states:

“Say among the nations, ‘The Lord reigns; indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved; He will judge the peoples with equity.’ Let the Heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all it contains; let the field exult, and all that is in it. Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy before the Lord, for He is coming; for He is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in His faithfulness.”

Not many people are rejoicing like this at the prospect of the Lord coming back to judge the earth, but that is because of their misunderstanding of His judgments. We tend to think of them as condemnation, but they are correction–because He loves us. His judgments are to be desired so much that the whole earth, right down to the trees and plants, are going to rejoice when He comes to judge the earth.

This great rejoicing is not just because He is going to get rid of the wicked, but His judgments are coming to save the wicked too. This is not to imply that all of the wicked will be saved, but His judgments will at least give them a chance.

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One might look at the troubles in the world and say that we are already in the greatest time of trouble the world has ever known. This is understandable, but we are not quite there yet. There are even more serious troubles coming. However, these are not because He has rejected us, but because He loves us. He is not actually doing these things to us, but we are doing them to ourselves, and He is allowing these troubles until we get the most important message of all–we cannot exist long in the creation without obeying the Creator. All of the troubles coming upon the world are basically the result of mankind trying to run this world without God. The troubles are simply mankind reaping what he has sown. Even so, as we are told in I Corinthians 11:31-32:

“For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.”

If we judge ourselves, He will not have to do it. That is the easy way. We can fall on the rock and be broken, or it will fall on us and grind us into powder! So let’s humble ourselves and repent so that He will not have to discipline us.

Hurricane Katrina was discipline from the Lord, intended to help wake up America and get us to turn to Him. So are the earthquakes, fires, drought, floods, and all of the other natural disasters. God is not doing them to us, but they are the result of the earth being out of whack because her king is man, which God gave to the earth to rule over it, righteously.

More troubles are coming, not only to America but to the world, unless we repent. Possibly the most devastating disaster in the history of America could be creeping up on us through some of the most beautiful weather conditions imaginable. The South has enjoyed its most beautiful autumn weather in memory–which is the problem! The glorious sunny days, with near perfect temperatures, are veiling what is potentially the worst disaster to ever hit our nation–a whole region of the country is fast running out of water. Without rain, major cities and a multitude of small towns will soon have to be abandoned, displacing millions of people. It seems that the warning of I Thessalonians 5:3 is especially appropriate for this:

“While they are saying, ‘Peace and safety!’ then destruction will come upon them suddenly like birth pangs upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.”

Can this be avoided? Yes, as we are told in II Chronicles 7:13-14:

“If I shut up the Heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people, and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray, and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from Heaven, will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”

The Word of God is very clear that droughts are a curse. Everywhere in Scripture, except for the flood, rain is a blessing from the Lord. If God’s people, not the heathen, will turn from their wicked ways, then the Lord will hear from Heaven and heal our land.

Right now the Church in America is like Jonah. We have a clear call and commission from the Lord, but we do not want to do it and are determined to go our own way. The storm is not coming upon the ship because of the heathen, they are only doing what they know to do; the storm is coming to wake up the prophet. The heathen actually had to wake up Jonah and tell him to call on his God, and we will soon see the heathen in America begin to beseech the Church to start calling on God because of the storms.

Just as in the end of Jonah’s story when some of the worst heathen in his time turned to the Lord and repented, when the Church wakes up and preaches what we have been given to preach, the same is going to happen.

The drought in the South is similar to other potentially devastating problems that are all creeping up on us in conditions that seem as remote as they could be from a disaster. The weather is perfect; the sun is out, but the land is dying of thirst! The other conditions are creeping up likewise, unobserved except by a few. There seems to be a veritable “perfect storm,” where a number of conditions all come together at the same time to produce the most devastating storm of all–each one multiplying the effects of the others.

If you are tempted to lay this aside now, thinking that you just do not want to read this type of thing, I understand, but I encourage you to read on because it could save your life. No one likes to prophesy troubles, but for those who can see and prepare for them, they are the ones who will escape the consequences of them. You may call them “negative prophecies,” but by not seeing them, we could be the ones who are crying “peace and safety” just before the destruction comes. The Scriptures themselves make it clear that these things will be coming upon the world, and if you cannot see them, then you are living in a large degree of delusion. Many Christians are in this delusion, and when living in such darkness, even a little bit of light can be blinding. I implore you to please read on, even if it is hard for you.

Seeing the Signs of the Times

The Lord chided the Pharisees and Sadducees for knowing how to discern the weather but not knowing the signs of the times (see Matthew 16:3). Who could have seen such a creeping disaster as this drought in the South when the weather was so beautiful and peaceful? It is very difficult in these conditions to even think of hardship, much less such a widespread disaster as this drought could become. At this writing, some towns have their water turned on for just three hours a day. Note that I said water is turned on three hours a day, not off. This is the last resort to no water being available from public sources, and probable evacuation of everyone who does not have their own source of water, such as a well. However, in many cases, those who do have wells have already had to evacuate because their wells have run dry.

The interesting way that this drought crept up on the South was because of the recent devastating hurricanes, and the predictions of increasingly violent ones to come because of global warming. Naturally Christians, especially along the coast, prayed for protection from any more of those super storms, and the Lord seems to have answered those prayers. However, even though storms can be devastating, hurricanes and tropical storms are a main source for replenishing the water tables and reservoirs in the South. Because the storms did not come, we may have been rejoicing, but few understood that this posed a potentially worse disaster–the lack of fresh water for much of the South.

Things are becoming very difficult in the South in regard to fresh water. This is for our preparation, and we do need to prepare for it. Consider Revelation 8:10-11 concerning water:

“And the third angel sounded, and a great star fell from Heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of waters; and the name of the star is called Wormwood; and a third of the waters became wormwood; and many men died from the waters, because they were made bitter.”

I personally believe this comes in the form of terrorist attacks on our water supplies. Since this is a Biblical prophecy, is there any way that we can be protected from this? Yes. Whole regions, and maybe even whole nations, can be protected. Even though we may have a high regard for our FBI, CIA, and other intelligence agencies, they will not be able to stop these attacks alone. Turning to the Lord can break the drought, and it can stop many other potential disasters. He will be gracious and help those who seek Him and obey Him.

What Is Wormwood?

The attack on the water supplies in Revelation 8 is called “Wormwood” for a reason. In Amos 6:12 it says, “you have turned justice into poison, and the fruit of righteousness into wormwood.” The greatest injustice of all was the Cross. The One who was perfect in all of His ways, who did nothing but good, was tortured and crucified by the very ones He had made. This was the ultimate rejection of God by mankind. The ultimate injustice is for those who are made to reject their Maker. Turning from God in any manner is the ultimate injustice and will ultimately become wormwood for those who do it. The “great time of trouble” that we are told the end of this age will be is simply the result of mankind rejecting the Creator.

Likewise, righteousness, or the right way, is to turn to God. It is seeking to do His will instead of our own. Most of the injustices that men seek to address are injustices between men, but we will never have true justice if it is not built upon the ultimate justice of men giving to God what is due Him.

Because God is love, and He truly loves all men and desires for them to be saved, it does hurt Him when even one turns from Him. It grieves Him deeply when a whole nation turns from Him, especially one that has been so devoted to Him, like the United States. Even so, He is not smiting us out of His hurt and rejection, but to turn us back so that we will not have to reap the fruit of our own sin. The fruit of our rebellion against God is to have the creation rebel against us, as is indicated in Romans 8:19-21:

“For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.”

As we are told in Amos, the fruit of righteousness can be turned into wormwood by injustice, and if we are going to be free of the plague of wormwood we must be devoted to justice, first toward God, then toward one another. It is justice that when we rebel against God, the creation that He placed us over will rebel against us.

So is the drought in the South the result of the South turning from God? Yes, but it is also evidence that He loves the South enough to discipline us. A drought in the Southwest is natural since it is mostly desert, but a drought in the Southeast is unnatural. The drought is a wake-up call.

Don’t Worry, Be Happy!

In spite of all of the hope we have from the Word of God, many come close to having a nervous breakdown if they hear about anything bad coming. We must grow up. If we respond rightly, we can change our destiny. All we have to do is turn from our wicked ways and turn to the Lord. Then He will send rain and heal our land.

In Biblical symbolism, rain often speaks of teaching. This is why Moses said in Deuteronomy 32:2, “Let my teaching drop as the rain.” The land is lacking physical rain because it is also lacking spiritual rain, the teachings of the Lord. The teachings of the Church right now are so weak, studies have shown that 75 percent of our children will turn from the faith within one year of leaving home. Studies have indicated that among Southern Baptists, considered to be one of the strongest evangelical denominations, this number may be as high as 94 percent. Even the most optimistic have to admit that something is very wrong.

Do our children hear one thing at Church, and then see something else at home? How can our children believe us if the rate of divorce among evangelical Christians is higher than it is among the heathen? How can they believe when there is no longer a distinguishable difference in the basic integrity and honesty between Christians and the heathen?

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The Lord will help us. He is letting certain conditions become serious to get our attention. Let us always keep in mind the exhortation of Hebrews 12:5-7: “‘My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor faint when you are reproved by Him; for those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, and He scourges every son whom He receives.’ It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline?”

The discipline that our nation and many others have been going through is not because the Lord has rejected us, but because He loves us. Those who follow Him will be ready for what is coming, so that they will be able to stand when others are falling.

Get Ready!

Remember Y2K? Most want to forget about it and for good reason–many Christians and many of my prophetic friends predicted something close to the end of the world and nothing happened. For a while, I was the only one who stated that Y2K was not going to be the disaster that everyone was predicting. It has always been interesting to me that I was persecuted more for being right about this than I think I ever have for being wrong about something. I was also right about the rest that I said then–that even though the preparations for Y2K would not be needed for Y2K, but for other things that were coming, learn the lessons, and hang on to that stuff you set aside.

Remember the bird flu? Many think that it has just gone away, but the opposite is true. It is moving relentlessly toward the worldwide pandemic that has been predicted. Governments have been wary of saying too much too soon because of the malaise that tends to come if you get ready for something and then it does not happen for awhile. They are trying to time their warnings right, which is the right thing to do. However, when the warning goes out, there may not be enough time for all to get ready.

It is also true that Christians do have the spiritual authority to stop this plague for every place that they have taken their spiritual authority. However, we only have true spiritual authority to the degree that we are obeying the King and abiding in Him, and not many Christians have been doing too good at that. Secular scientists have said that the coming Avian flu pandemic looks like the Biblical plague in the Book of Revelation where a third of mankind dies. If it is that plague in the Bible, we will not be able to stop it, but we do not have to die or have our children die in it. If God’s people will turn from their wicked ways and turn to the Lord, we can stop this plague from coming near our houses, and possibly even protect our heathen neighbors as well, which will be to their spiritual as well as their physical salvation.

Hurry Up and Wait!

There are practical things we can do to prepare for the times, but first let’s look at why we are going through so many seemingly contradictory conditions.

When going through boot camp or infantry training, we were constantly given orders and then seemingly contradictory ones right after them. This was to teach us to obey without question, because our lives and the lives of our units often depended on instant obedience. The more serious the conditions, the less time those in charge would have to explain orders. We have been going through similar training also, and it is intended to save lives.

After the South was clobbered by the mega storms, we prepared for storms and a drought came. Not many of the items we had set aside for storms are very useful in a drought, but some of them are. It would also be a mistake to forget anything we learned from our hurricane relief work or the drought.

Likewise, on the West Coast we need to learn every lesson we can from the fires and the mudslides. Mudslides may seem like the opposite problem of fires, but they are actually the result of fires. Fires strip the land of vegetation that holds the ground in place when the rains come. If that vegetation is gone, there will be a serious threat of mudslides after a fire. These are not unassociated problems.

The Greatest Harvest?

One of the greatest mission fields of the future is going to be disaster relief. The Church was magnificent the way it responded to the Hurricane Katrina disaster, and everyone, including the federal government and the secular media, took note of how much better the Church can respond and get things done in such a situation. We can do better than the government. We are here on this earth to be a light in darkness. After loving God, loving our neighbors is our main job description, and few things will be a greater demonstration of this than those who respond to help their neighbors in their worst times.

We claim to be filled with the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit is the Helper. The ministry of helps is not just cutting the grass or washing the dishes after Church suppers, but it is responding to those who are drowning and crying “HELP!” That ministry is a fundamental ministry that every Christian is called to, which is one reason why we were given the Helper to be in us.

Recently, we hosted a disaster response training course that included certification courses for CERT (Community Emergency Response Teams) and CISM (Crisis Intervention and Stress Management). Part of the training was how to set up a shelter during a disaster. This included gathering all of the necessary resources such as food, medical supplies, waste control, and bedding. Then all of the people in this class were separated into several teams, each of which was to plan the setting up of a shelter. This was good team building instruction, and everyone was having a pretty good time. Then one situation after another was thrown at these groups, which they had to determine how to deal with, and it became much more serious.

Some of the problems that these teams were required to find were quick answers for such things as having a man show up with a large knife, a person selling drugs, a sexual predator coming to the shelter, the power going off, toilets overflowing, families showing up that spoke a language no one knew, a blind person who had lost their seeing eye dog, a deaf person, and then they got more serious! What if the bird flu breaks out in the shelter? What would we do?

The point was to have everyone engaged, responsive, resourceful, and proactive in confronting each problem. Without such people in control of these shelters, they can quickly become disaster areas, just like it seemed to happen at the Superdome during Hurricane Katrina.

There are many Christians who feel that because they have the Holy Spirit, He will give them everything they need to deal with any disaster. Faith in the Holy Spirit is both noble and crucial. However, many who have this attitude do not follow the Holy Spirit very well in their daily lives, and are unlikely to be able to do so in the chaos and clamor of a disaster. There is a Scripture for this–Psalm 32:6:

“Therefore, let everyone who is godly pray to You in a time when You may be found; surely in a flood of great waters they will not reach him.”

The point is: Do not wait until the storm hits to try and build your house on the Rock. It will be too late. That is why the Holy Spirit led us to do this very practical CERT and CISM training. The IFOC (International Fellowship of Chaplains) also does some very good training, which is intended to get Christians engaged in our communities and prepared to deal with almost anything our communities will face.

I have been through the IFOC training and attended as many CERT and CISM sessions as I could, and feel every time that it is crucial not only for every pastor to have this training, but for every Christian as well.

Even so, the best-trained people are still going to need to hear and follow the Holy Spirit, and we are going to need miracles. Training and following the Holy Spirit are not mutually exclusive–they are essential. The trained will likely be the ones calm enough to hear the Holy Spirit. One of the biggest mistakes I think we (MorningStar) made during our Katrina relief operations was getting so caught up in the physical needs that many of the spiritual needs were neglected. We had many meet the Lord, many healed, and many helped spiritually, but not like they should have been. We are resolved to not let that happen again, and we are therefore very understanding of those who think too much preparation is being made for the natural man. However, having been in such a crisis a few times, I do not think we can get too prepared in the natural–we just need to esteem spiritual preparation and ministry much more than we have.

Much of the training for crisis intervention is how to bring order into a situation, but more of it is how to deal with situations where there is no order, which is where the Holy Spirit seems to be at His best. When He moved upon the earth in the beginning, it was in chaos, and look at the glorious creation He brought forth! It is going to be in the chaos of some of the things coming down that we are going to see the Holy Spirit do some of His most glorious work. It is not that we have to go through these–we get to!

Even with all of the devotion we are giving to this, we are well aware that there is a limit to what our training can do. Even so, we also have learned the hard way that the ones who come to help who have limited training may have the best of intentions, but they often just add to the burden of those who were trained and prepared. We need to get all of the training possible for our calling and trust the Lord. These are not mutually exclusive, but mutually inclusive.

So What Do We Do?

Every Christian should have between three and six months of food, water, and medicine on hand, all of the time. It should be rotated to be kept fresh and usable, but when the Avian flu pandemic hits, we can expect almost all transportation to be shut down very quickly. Most grocery stores only carry a three-day supply of food for their regular customers. This can be gone in hours with a run on the store. Get ready now. Stay ready. This could hit at any time and without much notice. It is not a matter of if it will come, but when.

Hopefully most Christians will have turned from their wicked ways and turned to the Lord, so that we will be able to stand and protect our families and our neighbors. If Moses could tell Aaron to run into the midst of the camp to stop the plague with a censer of incense, how much more should prayer and intercession, of which that incense was a type, be able to stop a plague? This is why we have “a better covenant;” we do not just have the types and shadows, but the reality of what they were types and shadows of.

Now, for all of the natural preparation you make, storing food, water, medicines, or other supplies, think about the corresponding spiritual supplies you should store. First, we should be storing as much as we can of His Word in our hearts, but in this pandemic, people will be told to stay home. Curfews will be enforced, probably with deadly force. Since there probably will not be television, and there may not be electricity in a lot of places to listen to our music, we will have a lot of time to read. After three months or more of isolation with our families and the Lord, we should have a vision of coming out of this as the strongest Christians on the planet, with the strongest families!

A three-month supply of resources will probably be more than adequate; however, it is likely our whole infrastructure will take some time to get back in gear. Therefore, I recommend having a six-month supply so that you can share with others who did not prepare. I also intend to have Bibles and other good Christian books to share with my neighbors.

I realize that in your nice, comfortable, warm homes where you are probably sitting while reading this Bulletin, it sounds far-fetched that something like this could happen. However, it has happened before and it will happen again. It may not come this year. I have been praying for years for more time for the Church to prepare, but there will be a time, and in the not too distant future, when it does come. Just think, if you prepare and it does not come, what have you lost? A little bit of time maybe. If it comes and you have not prepared, you could possibly lose your life and the lives of your loved ones.

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I was right about Y2K, and I am right about this one. The natural disasters that seem to be hitting us week after week now are grace from the Lord to wake us up and get ready. The most important preparation of all is to turn to Him and away from our wicked ways. If we do this it will be much, much easier for us.

“But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief; for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness; so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober. For those who sleep do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night.

But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation. For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ” (I Thessalonians 5:4-9).

Rick Joyner
MorningStar Ministries
Email: info@morningstarministries.org

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Night attacks are very real to me. I am a Vietnam vet and was deployed in Danang,RSV during that war. At night, enemy fighters would set up big 5″ rockets and shoot them into our airbase…sometimes three attacks in one night. There is something about night combat that amplifies fear and terror and the possibilities of confusion and stupid actions. Something about stress in the night that can wear you down.  I would pray before or when I lay down and build my faith with the word of God…and keep my helmet and flak jacket very close!

I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety. (Psalms 4:8) This was one of His promises that really helped me, and there were others.

By the way, the first successful night attack recorded in history was Abram’s attack on the kings who had kidnapped his nephew Lot and his family. By the grace of God, it succeded. The Scripture speaks of those who are “prepared for the terrors of the night.” “All of them are skillful with the sword; they are battle-hardened veterans. Each of them is armed with a sword, on guard against a night attack.” (Song of Solomon 3:8) May I suggest that you begin to build your faith and your families’ faith for safe passage through the night…spiritually and physically. A major terrorist attack or natural disaster may shut down local law enforcement ( Katrina and the New Orleans PD, for example). It might come down to you, God and possibly some good neighbors! Some starter possibilites regarding preparation are sharing good faith scriptures with your children, having good illumination ready, having a plan to communicate and assemble as a family, thinking through ways to communicate with the outside, and deciding beforehand whether or not firearms factors into your plan. There’s more, of course, like having a healthy, alert dog!

He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him, and show him my salvation. (Psalms 91:1-16)

May the good Shepherd keep you through the night! 

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This will sound too simplistic, too easy, not psycological enough or religiously ardous enough for some of you, but here is reality: you can get prepared for life’s ultimate challenge by turning complete ownership and control of your life and everything associated with it over to the Living Lord Jesus Christ! Afterwards you will find some things will have to go, and many others will become gloriously new, but preparation is completed by the big, initial “turnover” of yourself to Jesus. Total surrender. Your sins will be forgiven because of His lifeblood shed for you on the cross. Eternal LIFE begins immediately. This complete entrusting of yourself and your situation to the Living Jesus (not to a church, spiritual group, minister, priest, holy man, etc…to Jesus!) is called “conversion” in the Bible. If you have been converted to Jesus Christ (and are still surrendered to Him)…you are prepared, wonderfully  prepared!

And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 18:2-3)

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Mr. Feder’s accurate observations about militant atheism were confirmed and illuminated by a frontpage Wall Street Journal from April 12, 2007 titled ” The New Crusaders: As Religious Strife Grows, Europe’s Atheists Seize Pulpit. Islam’s Rise Gives Boost To Militant Unbelievers.” This article focuses on Michel Onfray, whom the WSJ calls a “celebrity philosopher and France’s high priest of militant atheism.” Mr. Onfray, is 48, has published 32 books, and is a very popular lecturer. Consider this quote from the WSJ,
“Mr. Onfray argues that atheism faces a “final battle” against “theological hocus-pocus” and must rally its troops. “We can no longer tolerate neutrality and benevolence,” he writes in “Traite d’atheologie,” or Atheist Manifesto, a best seller in France, Italy and Spain. “The turbulent time we live in suggests that change is at hand and the time has come for a new order.” He recently shared a book by a favorite philosopher with a political opponent…Nietzsche’s “The Anti-Christ.” Should we think this stuff is just European weirdness? The WSJ pointed out the following, “The God Delusion,” a book by Oxford Professor Richard Dawkins, has been on the New York Times hardcover nonfiction best-seller list for 28 weeks.

Scripture describes The ultimate AntiChrist as a Satan possessed human, with formiddible deceptive powers and invincible war-making power, assisted and promoted by a “False Prophet” who will be world’s ultimate propagandist and architect of genocide. Behind them, a system which only the return of Christ will shutdown. Part of the mystery regarding the ultimate evils is this question: which comes first, The inspiring, inclusive antichrist worldview, the system which will execute its leader’s will, the False Prophet or the ultimate Antichrist himself? Regardless, here is the final outcome:

And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshiped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. (Rev.19.19)

I am not alleging that Mr. Onfray is the Ultimate A/C or false prophet…but be sure of this: Europe is very far gone into apostasy and strong currents are swirling that may give rise to this ultimate human/ satanic evil. Perhaps, more disturbingly, is the possiblity that the antichrist spirits which are trying to consolidate and bring forth these supreme evils will be able in the meantime to bring forth violent antichristian persecution here and soon. I was grieved by a situation that occured recently. In New Jersey, in a place called New Burlington Township, school officials and “publical safety/ emergency management officials” held a first responder drill based on a senario which envisioned their High School being terrorized by fundamentalist Christian killers. This senario was a terrible case of implausible lies, bigotry, fear-mongering and stereotyping against fundamental Christians dubbed by the senario as the “New Crusaders.” Blatant prejudice of this sort can fuel an explosive atmosphere where violence is suddenly loosed against God’s people. Who really are the “New Crusaders?” To me the NJ situation is a small but potent example of The Rise of militant atheism…the spirit of Antichrist blossoms.

My son, let not them depart from thine eyes: keep sound wisdom and discretion: So shall they be life unto thy soul, and grace to thy neck. Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble. When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet. Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh. For the LORD shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken. (Proverbs 3:21-26)

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1. Mostly, things will continue as in the last few years with a greater separation occurring between the spiritual church and world systems. The worldly oriented Americans, who call themselves Christians, will continue to trust politics, both domestic and foreign, to make things different, hoping that by human effort, the world will be made a better place. Americans will continue to be content in very small personal circles of family and employment giving not much thought or concern to the role they might play as representatives and citizens of the Kingdom of God. This coming year will be like the days of Noah that the Lord Jesus spoke of. The Christians of America will not be too much different, but there is a remnant, those who follow the Lamb where ever He goes and hunger for the Presence of God, even secretly, and who are poised and ready to do the will of God in overt, power filled ways.

American life will change, but it will change slowly, so as to not alarm too many citizens at once. “We can’t have a rebellion in America!” the world leaders have decreed. Not yet anyway. Personal liberties and ‘civil rights’ will give more ground to government so that we may feel safe from terrorists. The peoples of the world have proven that they will sacrifice personal liberty for the sake of personal security. The rulers of this dark age know this and will continue the squeeze in order to fully control everyone everywhere. The loss of freedom will seem to be an acceptable price to ‘feel’ safe. “Perception is everything” while reality is changing.

2. The Spirit is saying expressly that this is a time to focus on covenant relationships. Covenants exist in all relationships whether they are written, spoken, assumed, agreed to, or not. Covenants, in simplicity, define the operating rules and boundaries, the benefits and responsibilities for relationships. All covenants should be of holy purpose, be equitable for all parties, and be conducted with righteous behavior.

We each have covenants with the ruling spirits of this world through submission and obedience of our ancestors and through that of our own lives. There are many ‘stealth’ covenants that exist between God’s people and unclean spirits. The Spirit of God says that we have a fresh opportunity to review all covenants with the world lords, to renounce them, and to ask the Father, the Judge of all the earth, to issue a divorce decree for the unholy alliances. These ideas promise a new and very great level of existence and fulfillment for the people of God. Few of us know that we are bound, in some measure, by bad covenantal relationship, but we are.

Once again the cry goes out, “Come out from the midst of them my people, be separated from them, and I will receive you to Myself! I will be your God and you will my people!” In this process there will those that will be ‘marked’ as the property of the Lord. A parallel phenomenon to Ezekiel 9:4 where the angel marked a remnant with the Hebrew letter Tav, the form of a cross, so that they would carry the brand of God in secret. Christians should seek God to be marked and identifiable to spirits. This mark carries with it authority, protection and power to work supernatural feats for the Lord. Those that bear the mark of God will have no fear of the loss of security and many will be beheaded, without fear or pain, at the hands of the servants of the false christs.

All covenants with other people should be reviewed and perhaps renegotiated. Some covenants are to be abandoned, some are to be strengthened and new ones are to be formed. Every covenant that restricts us in an ungodly way should be brought before the Judge for judgment and removal. See Psalm 103: 6.

3. The Spirit showed me an aerial picture of a church building. The roof was gone and the camera zoomed in to reveal a blast crater in the center of the meeting room. There was no one there. The floor, remaining fixtures and the crater were all black with soot as from a very powerful and destructive explosion. I have no further understanding at this point, but would instruct the reader to ask God if this vision has any significance at all for their local situation. This was a frightening scene for me to behold.

4. The school for Overcomers will intensify. (let the reader see Rev:2&3) and the day of unveiling comes closer but is not for this year. There is a promise to the potential members of this elect class in each of the seven churches of Revelation. Therefore there are candidates within each local church to answer the call of the Spirit to follow the Lamb. The tuition for this school is high. It will cost the candidate all that he owns and all that he holds dear. All that interests him in the natural will be taken so as to learn of all that is hidden in the spirit. Galatians 2:20, 6:14-15 will give a view to what is being worked out in real time, in real life; a transformation.

Beyond all other ideas that have been given my by the Spirit lately, the most pressing and persistent is this: Prepare for the coming of the Lord. Understanding that there are as many scenarios of how the ‘parousia’ will work out, the focus to me has been on the first ‘out resurrection’ of the dead and glory to be shown in those who are worthy to be included. Preparations to be found worthy, would include 1. Seeking to understand and harmonize with the Spirit of God who is our School Master. (We buy the oil for our lamps from Him. Matt

25:1) 2. Crucifixion of the old nature so as to be found ‘In Him’. 3. Giving complete allegiance and obedience to the Lord Jesus. 4. Completing the training exercises as they unfold out of the spirit into the natural. 5. Becoming more and more teachable.

5. Local Churches: There are many ‘Spirit filled’ congregations that linger in the realm of seeking God for Him to ‘do something’. But the Spirit specifically says that it is time for these congregations to seek God for individual marching orders and to begin to be the agents of God’s Kingdom rather than the seeking Him for hand outs.

The Word of the Lord is for all the churches that are stuck in a First Corinthians level of maturity, to transition, grow and mature into being like the Ephesians, ‘seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus’. The Corinthian church was a boot camp for post-Acts assemblies and instruction in many areas from church justice to recognizing the difference between the natural and the spiritual to prophetic protocols. Learners, full of mistakes and overemphasis’s, but teachable.

The Ephesians, by contrast, had matured in spiritual life and were proficient in spiritual warfare. These were called by the apostle to be “In” Christ in all things and in him to recognize and function in the authority and responsibilities of sons, (huios) rather than petitioners.

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