Holy Spirit

The Lord’s Fast

What if we allowed the Spirit of the Lord to help teach us to treat everyone we run into with a shower of love, dignity, honor and royalty? What if we treated them like kings and queens, princes and princesses (like we’d like to be treated) – especially the most unlovely, forlorn, mean, irritating, irrational, incoherent and oppressed? What if we perhaps even treated them to a gift, a good meal or warm shelter? What if our ability to “arise and shine” (Isaiah 60) is interconnected to how we treat the poor and needy (Isaiah 58)?

“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.

“If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.” ~Isaiah 58:6-10 (NIV)

There is a Great Shaking Coming

Amos 3:7 says, “Surely the Sovereign Lord does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets.” Well, I can tell you that the prophets have been very active recently. They are speaking of a great shaking that is coming soon. I’ve seen some of this in dreams as of late myself. What is this shaking and what is it for? From a very high level, it has many dimensions to it. It is spiritual and physical. It is in the heavens and on the earth. It will affect the nations. It will affect just about every aspect of our lives. The only part of us that will not be shaken is the part of us that is fully committed to and firmly established in Christ, because Christ is the Rock that cannot be shaken. So, the good news is that what remains will be very, very good! But this is also a warning. For the end of this will only be good for us if we allow what is not of Christ in us, in our homes, in our cities and in our nations to be shaken out! Lord, let it happen! Amen.

“This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. I will shake all nations, and what is desired by all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘The silver is mine and the gold is mine,’ declares the Lord Almighty. ‘The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘And in this place I will grant peace,’ declares the Lord Almighty.” ~Haggai 2:6-9 (NIV)

“See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven? At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our ‘God is a consuming fire.’” ~Hebrews 12:25-29 (NIV)

For more information on this topic, I recommend the following:

A recent prophetic word by Neville Johnson: http://www.theacademy.org.au/training/index.html (Direct link to the pdf: http://www.theacademy.org.au/training/neville/Atonement2014.pdf)

For more in depth study this and related topics, download a free copy of my book “The Father’s Heart and Purpose for the End Times”: https://thefathersendtimeplan.com/order-the-book

The Sounding Alarm / The Passing of Arthur Burt

Something is really stirring in the heavens! Alarms are going off everywhere–in both the spiritual and natural realms. A few nights ago, we even had two doors blow open by the wind in our home early in the morning, setting off indicator alarms.

So, why are all of these alarms sounding? There is so much going on, that I will summarize a few things that I’ve been hearing and seeing and let you go much further on your own with some of the many recent words that the prophets have been bringing.

First, at a very high level, the 21st century has brought immense acceleration in the growth of the both the wheat and the tares. This included a massive acceleration of 24/7 day and night prayer, persecution of believers and the harvest of souls. Now we have clearly seen, even within that, an even greater acceleration during the last couple of years. The prophet Bob Jones was a Simeon for the infancy of the great and final harvest of souls. He passed away on Valentine’s Day this year. I believe Arthur Burt was also a Simeon for the infancy of the end time outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the great harvest. He was given that word in 1930 when he was just 17 years old (I highly recommend you read his book “There Shall be No Ebb,” if you haven’t had a chance to read it already). Arthur recently said that he had felt released to bring the word that we had entered the Feast of Tabernacles. Arthur Burt passed away on August 28th, he was 102 years old (http://www.openheaven.com/forums/forum_posts.asp?TID=48119).

Beloved, we are living in the infancy of the times that have been spoken about throughout the ages! Many longed to see the day that we are seeing now. What an exciting time to be alive! We are seeing it begin to come forth in Tulsa, and we are seeing it all over the earth.

We are entering a new season. Many have felt that Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement – October 3 – 4) marks the beginning of a very critical new season. I have felt that strong feeling of transition even in September. The Jewish New Year or Rosh Hashanah starts September 24th at sundown. We are entering a new time! The times that we are entering are powerful…and they are beautiful AND terrible times. It is a birthing process. It will be messy. It will greatly range in intensity and in emotions. We must be seeking the Lord with all our hearts at all times. We must stay awake, alert and listening to the Holy Spirit. It will be a GREAT time for those who seek Him and who hear His voice. It will be a wonderful time for drawing closer to the Lord’s heart. It will be a great time for harvest! But, we cannot afford to be dull of hearing or asleep during this time. We may not even survive the times ahead if we fall asleep (for the Lord comes like a thief to those who are asleep (see Revelation 3:3). Instead, we must stay in the river of the Spirit and allow Him to increase in us, in order to increase His effectiveness through us.

There is so much available to us now, but we must continue to press in to receive it. The door is open, but we must walk through it while there is still time!

Here are some of the many recent words that have been coming forth. I will start with part of a word delivered by Tim Sheets. You can continue on with that word and many others below as you desire.

A New Roar Will Be Heard From My Tribe
The alarm clock of Heaven is now ringing on the night stand of a sleeping Church; time to rise, time to rise to the occasion, time to get up! The Lord says, “I have lions hidden in My remnant, not wolves. They will now rise to patrol and remove the defeated ones, wolf packs, that have come to scatter My flocks. My lions will be fierce, bold, aggressive and unintimidated. They will not flinch when adversaries advance. They will stand strong,” says the Lord, “and fearless.
“A new roar will be heard from My tribe announcing territorial dominion. A roar claiming geographical and spiritual jurisdiction shall now sound from My remnant; a roar establishing that the throne of the territory is occupied and guarded. A rule against Hell’s power shall be sounded. A roar of authority in My Name shall come against Hell’s intrusions. My called-out ones, My sent ones, will now become step forward ones.

(Photo by Linda Harris-Iorio “ROAR” via elijahshopper.com)

“They will move forward in My power. They will manifest their rights as sons and daughters of God ruling and reigning with Me. As intended, My heirs are stepping from the shadows of cultural bondage. They shall now display disdain of enemy princes, mights, thrones, dominions and rulers of darkness. No longer will they compromise in shared rule; no longer settling for cohabitation, no longer accepting shared occupancy.

“Passive appeasement has now been replaced with backbones of steel, lips set on fire with Holy ingots, and a shout of the King is in their voice indeed. Jericho’s shout decree is in their mouth. Determined faith shall now be seen in My faithful ones as they march to remove demon philosophies and doctrines of devils from the land. No shared rule,” says the Lord.
“My rule, My rule shall prevail. My words shall prevail. Power to prevail is being poured out. Power to prevail is soaking My remnant. Power to overcome Hell’s strategies; power to overcome demon doctrine and rebel government; power to more than conquer demon tactics is being released. Those who stand with Me shall see Hell’s fire misfire.

“So arise and rule. Rise and roar with My authority. I will fill your enemy’s mouth with sand and their hearts with quicksand. They will find themselves stuck in their own mire. Roar with My freedom. Roar with My liberty. Let rejoicing roar out of Zion. March in to battle with confident peace.

My Shaking Will Open Ancient Wells of Revival
“Great revival fire will now begin to burn through intercession soaked regions as My awakening begins to roll. The regions will now become activated by My glory. My shaking has come. I am shaking earth. I am shaking Heaven. Walls, strongholds, obstacles, and Hell’s defenses are being shaken down and My remnant is being shaken free. My shaking will open ancient wells of revival. The revival in the womb of My intercessors will now be birthed.

“The revivalist mantle is descending upon My righteous evangelists. The fire shut up in their bones will now become words of fiery passion. With My Gospel, I will shake open the capped wells of evangelism. I will shake open the ancient healing wells. Miracles will multiply. My angels are pumping those wells and they are opening new wells, new roads, new inroads, new mantles, new vision, new harvest. Behold I will do a new thing and you will see it. Now it will spring forth.
~Tim Sheets

Jim Goll delivered a recent word with eight strategic points (listed below). One of these is the following:

The Door of the Harvest is Open
I have been seeing Angels with sickles in their hands coming down the ladder of heaven into the earth realm. Angels of the Harvest have been released. The Scripture from Joel 3:13 was illuminated to me – “Put in the sickle for the harvest is ripe!” Expect divine appointments! It is Harvest Time!

• Church, “The Alarm Clock of Heaven Is Now Ringing” – Tim Sheets http://www.elijahlist.com/words/display_word.html?ID=13850
• Eight Strategic Turning Points – Jim Goll
http://www.encountersnetwork.com/Communications/StrategicWordsForOurDay/tabid/1351/ArticleId/99/Default.aspx
• A Demarcation Point This Fall – Rick Joyner
http://www.morningstartv.com/ejournal/note-rick-morningstar-journal-september-2014
• Word for the Moment – Bobby Conner & Paul Keith Davis https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXjDpHf8zo4
• God is on His Throne: Judgment in America – Neville Johnson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNmljeFzjUA
• An Overshadowing of the Holy Spirit Taking Place in the Church – Bonnie Jones http://www.elijahlist.com/words/display_word.html?ID=13855
• Yom Kippur 2014, A Cut-Off Date in God’s Timeline – Prophet Neville Johnson https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOncuKbneRs
• Lancaster Prophetic Conference, Session 9 – Terry Bennett https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FxRuzIciMQ
• Do Not Fear the Conflict – Neil Vermillion
http://www.neilvermillion.com/prophetic/do-not-fear-the-conflict/
http://www.neilvermillion.com/prophetic/time-to-make-yourself-ready/
http://www.neilvermillion.com/prophetic/stirring-hearts-and-awakening-destiny

The Greater Works!

I want to be more like Jesus, don’t you? But, doesn’t it seem astounding that Jesus said, “Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father” (John 14:12, NIV). Amazing, isn’t it? How is this even possible? He is so great and powerful and we are so weak and small!

“God came from Teman, the Holy One from Mount Paran. His glory covered the heavens and his praise filled the earth. His splendor was like the sunrise; rays flashed from his hand, where his power was hidden.” ~Habakkuk 3:3-4 (NIV)

“Sun and moon stood still in the heavens at the glint of your flying arrows, at the lightning of your flashing spear. In wrath you strode through the earth and in anger you threshed the nations. You came out to deliver your people, to save your anointed one.” ~Habakkuk 3: 11-13 (NIV)

“The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire.” ~Revelation 1:14 (NIV)

“His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.” ~Revelation 1: 16 (NIV)

It sounds intimidating, especially considering His immense power and glory! But, we must press on into Jesus, just as Moses approached the mountain of the Lord, to yield our hearts to Him and let him set our hearts on fire with His Holy Spirit, and then His fire will emanate from our eyes, mouth, face and hands.

Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?” And the Lord said to Moses, “I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.” Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.” ~Exodus 33:15-18 (NIV)

“When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his face was radiant, and they were afraid to come near him.” ~Exodus 34:30 (NIV)

Jesus said, “Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are healthy, your whole body also is full of light. But when they are unhealthy, your body also is full of darkness. See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness. Therefore, if your whole body is full of light, and no part of it dark, it will be just as full of light as when a lamp shines its light on you.” ~Luke 11:33-36 (NIV)

“A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.” ~Luke 6:45 (NIV)

One of the results of the fire of the Holy Spirit coming from our hearts and proceeding out our mouths, is that the wisdom of the world and demonic strongholds are uprooted and destroyed.

“For the weapons of our warfare are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood], but they are mighty before God for the overthrow and destruction of strongholds, [Inasmuch as we] refute arguments and theories and reasonings and every proud and lofty thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God…” ~2 Corinthians 10:4-5 (AMP)

“My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power. We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.” ~I Corinthians 2:4-8 (NIV)

In the time that we are now entering, the “demonstration of the Spirit’s power” through the spoken word, will take on new dimensions that we would currently find difficult to comprehend, similar to what the Lord through the prophet Habakkuk.

“Look around [you, Habakkuk, replied the Lord] among the nations and see! And be astonished! Astounded! For I am putting into effect a work in your days [such] that you would not believe it if it were told you.” ~Habakkuk 1:5 (AMP)

In scripture, we can clearly see the theme of the Holy fire proceeding from God, Jesus, Moses and the prophets. Are we to just sit back and wait for Jesus, a prophet or an angel to speak His words and accomplish these great and mighty works? We know that even many of the prophets and heroes of the Bible were considered weak in many ways, yet we know that through faith, they overcame. “…through faith, [they] conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies.” (see Hebrews 11:33-34)

Have you considered that He might be waiting for you to ask Him to fill you with His Holy fire, so it can flow in and through you? When Moses approached the Red Sea, it appears in scripture that Moses was standing there waiting on God to do His thing. But we see later that God was also waiting on Moses…He wanted to work with and through Moses. God didn’t want Moses and the Israelites to stand there in fear, staring at the Red Sea on one side and the Egyptians coming from the other side. He needed them to step up in faith and do their part!

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on. Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground. I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them. And I will gain glory through Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen.” ~Exodus 14:15-17 (NIV)

I get the sense from this that God was saying, “Ok, Moses, I’ve given you authority and you know me and you know my heart. You see the enemy coming for you and the Red Sea in front of you. What are you going to do about it?”

What about us? He’s filled us with His precious Holy Spirit. He’s given us authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and all forms of evil (see Luke 10:19). Are we going to respond by hiding, or by just standing there and staring in fear and terror at the giants in front of us–at the gross sin and the disasters on the earth? Instead, aren’t we ready to step up, step out and be a Holy Spirit fire pryo for Jesus? I believe that Jesus and all of His creation is waiting for us you as well! He’s waiting for all of us to come forth and make our move!

Jesus said, “I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! ~Luke 12:49 (NIV)

“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.” ~Romans 8:18-21 (NKJV)

Should not the sons of God be about doing what the Son and His Father are doing? Shouldn’t we follow Christ’s example of radiating light and love and bringing the Kingdom of heaven to earth?

“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy [See Psalm 45:7] instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor. They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations. Strangers will shepherd your flocks; foreigners will work your fields and vineyards. And you will be called priests of the Lord, you will be named ministers of our God. You will feed on the wealth of nations, and in their riches you will boast. Instead of your shame you will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace you will rejoice in your inheritance. And so you will inherit a double portion in your land, and everlasting joy will be yours.” ~Isaiah 61:1-7 (NIV)

Also, it should not surprise us that the greatest works will come at the time of the greatest need. Have you ever noticed in the Bible that there is a lot of spiritual darkness, devastation, death and destruction during the time of the end of the age? During the birth pangs, the seals and the trumpets, for example, there are plagues, sicknesses, diseases, demons being released. There are people dying from war and from all kinds of natural disasters. But let me ask you a question. What is more powerful: Life or Death? Love or Hate? We all know that answer. And we must live it during this time! This will be an amazing time for the love, power and Holy fire of Christ to flow through us to bring an answer to all of these things that are going on across the earth; and then we will lead multitudes to Christ. But let’s not wait for the very last few years to do this. Let’s jump in the river and start now!

Once again, at the end of the age we will see the fullest manifestation of the following scripture,

“As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.” ~Matthew 10:7-8 (NIV)

“Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.” ~Daniel 12:3 (NIV)

Open War is Upon You

Through adversity we are born. And we are born to face and overcome adversity (a little snippet from my upcoming book “The Father’s Heart and Purpose for the End Times).

Don’t let the enemy steal from or lie to you about your purpose. One of your primary roles is to overcome him! “And they overcame him [Satan] by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.” ~Revelation 12:11 (NIV)

I love this little clip from LOTR. Gandalf is encouraging the King in his duty to fight the enemy. “Ride out and meet him head on!” But he didn’t want to take the risk of open war. Aragorn responds, “Open war is upon you whether you would risk it or not!”( See the video clip > Here)

How true…do we not see this happening all around us? It is increasing all over the world! What should we do?

Let’s put on the full armor of God and fulfill our duty. Let’s ride out and meet it head on! Let’s fulfill our destinies as true soldiers of Christ.

The Armor of God

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.” ~Ephesians 6:10-18 (NIV)

“For though we walk (live) in the flesh, we are not carrying on our warfare according to the flesh and using mere human weapons. For the weapons of our warfare are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood], but they are mighty before God for the overthrow and destruction of strongholds, [Inasmuch as we] refute arguments and theories and reasonings and every proud and lofty thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God; and we lead every thought and purpose away captive into the obedience of Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One), Being in readiness to punish every [insubordinate for his] disobedience, when your own submission and obedience [as a church] are fully secured and complete.” ~II Corinthians 10:3-6 (AMP)

Facing the Real Possibility of Persecution and Martyrdom

Today, let us seriously consider the reality of persecution and even the real possibility of dying for our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus laid down His life for His Bride. What does He expect of us in return? Jesus said, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” (Matthew 16:24, NIV). Jesus also said, “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matthew 5:10-12, NIV)

“Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also.” ~John 15:20 (NIV)

“In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted…” ~2 Timothy 3:12 (NIV)

Historical accounts tell us that eleven out of the twelve disciples were martyred. It is also reported that they attempted to kill John the Apostle, but he wouldn’t die. Although these things are hard to keep track of, it is estimated that from when Jesus walked the earth until now, there have been as many as 70 million Christian martyrs. Some believe that 40 million of those have come just in the 20th century alone. The number of martyrs for Christ that we see now every year could very well be the highest number in history.

What about us? Persecution is one thing. But will we again risk the same fate as the disciples did in their day? How many of us will actually face martyrdom? Let us consider the scriptures concerning this subject.

“As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. ‘Tell us,’ they said, ‘when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?’ Jesus answered: ‘Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains. Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.’” ~Matthew 24:3-13 (NIV)

“The ten horns are ten kings who will come from this kingdom. After them another king will arise, different from the earlier ones; he will subdue three kings. He will speak against the Most High and oppress his holy people and try to change the set times and the laws. The holy people will be delivered into his hands for a time, times and half a time. ‘But the court will sit, and his power will be taken away and completely destroyed forever. Then the sovereignty, power and greatness of all the kingdoms under heaven will be handed over to the holy people of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will worship and obey him.’” ~Daniel 7:24-27 (NIV)

“His armed forces will rise up to desecrate the temple fortress and will abolish the daily sacrifice. Then they will set up the abomination that causes desolation. With flattery he will corrupt those who have violated the covenant, but the people who know their God will firmly resist him. Those who are wise will instruct many, though for a time they will fall by the sword or be burned or captured or plundered. When they fall, they will receive a little help, and many who are not sincere will join them. Some of the wise will stumble, so that they may be refined, purified and made spotless until the time of the end, for it will still come at the appointed time.” ~Daniel 11:31-35 (NIV)

“The man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, lifted his right hand and his left hand toward heaven, and I heard him swear by him who lives forever, saying, ‘It will be for a time, times and half a time. When the power of the holy people has been finally broken, all these things will be completed.’” ~Daniel 12:7 (NIV)

“So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand— then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let no one on the housetop go down to take anything out of the house. Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again. If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you ahead of time. So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather. Immediately after the distress of those days

‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’

Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.” ~Matthew 24:15-31 (NIV)

“The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the wilderness, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent’s reach. Then from his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river, to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent. But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring—those who keep God’s commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus.” ~Revelation 12:14-17 (NIV)

“Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who is victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death.” ~Revelation 2:10 (NIV)

“When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. They called out in a loud voice, ‘How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?’ Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters, were killed just as they had been.” ~Revelation 9:6-11 (NIV)

“The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise its authority for forty-two months. It opened its mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven. It was given power to wage war against God’s holy people and to conquer them. And it was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the Lamb’s book of life, the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world. Whoever has ears, let them hear. ‘If anyone is to go into captivity, into captivity they will go. If anyone is to be killed with the sword, with the sword they will be killed.’ This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of God’s people.” ~Revelation 13:5-10 (NIV)

“A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: ‘If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives its mark on their forehead or on their hand, they, too, will drink the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. They will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment will rise for ever and ever. There will be no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and its image, or for anyone who receives the mark of its name.’ This calls for patient endurance on the part of the people of God who keep his commands and remain faithful to Jesus. Then I heard a voice from heaven say, ‘Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’ ’Yes,’ says the Spirit, ‘they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.’” ~Revelation 14:9-13 (NIV)

“After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands… Then one of the elders asked me, ‘These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?’ I answered, ‘Sir, you know.’ And he said, ‘These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore, they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. ‘Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst.’’” ~Revelation 7:9,13-16 (NIV)

“They triumphed over him [Satan] by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.” ~Revelation 12:11 (NIV)

“I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.” ~Revelation 20:4-6 (NIV)

As persecution of the followers of Jesus Christ increases across the earth right through the end of the age, what should our response be? Let us look to the word of God.

“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord. On the contrary: ‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” ~Romans 12:12-21 (NIV)

“Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you endured in a great conflict full of suffering. Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated. You suffered along with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions. So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. For,

‘In just a little while, he who is coming will come and will not delay.’

And,

‘But my righteous one will live by faith. And I take no pleasure in the one who shrinks back.’

But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved.”
~Hebrews 10:32-39 (NIV)

Darkness is increasing! Why? And who are you?

We can look around us and see that darkness is increasing–especially if we watch the news! Jesus warned us that this increase in wickedness would happen. However, He also said that He would let the “wheat and the tares” grow up together, and that in these perilous times there would also be an amazing outpouring of His Spirit! Joel 2:28-32. This also means that the darkness and the light will increase together. At the end of times, there will be two harvests: 1) The Weeds (or Tares) and 2) the Wheat. In Matthew 13:41-43, Jesus explains, “As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear.”

Why does the darkness increase with the light for a time? Jesus says He allows this because He does not want the “wheat” to be uprooted with the “weeds.” My guess is that this has to do with His mercy. But, we know that this is only temporary–and is during this period of grace. Personally, this seems like a very deep subject that requires much wisdom and revelation; perhaps we will pursue this further in another post.

So, what remains in our discussion is “who are you?” Also, what can I do? I have come of up with a simple acronym, “DARK.” It is something to remind us how we can respond to darkness.

Destroy it.

Yes, overcome the darkness. But how?…

Arise and Shine.

Stand up to it! “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” John 1:5. Jesus said, “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.” Isaiah 60:1-3 says, “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.” Remember that in the parable of the talents, Jesus told us not to crawl into a hole in fear and wait for Him to come back (my paraphrase). We must stand up and shine!

Resist and rebuke it.

“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7. That seems simple enough. Perhaps it is not easy, but simple. But it’s not enough just to resist…

Kick it out and overcome it!

In the Garden of Eden, mankind made a decision to give his authority over to the devil, plunging us into darkness. Bad idea. Now, it’s our job to kick the devil back out!

The Bible predicted this overthrow of darkness in Genesis–the plan was revealed right away! Father God spoke of Adam’s offspring, that “he [Adam’s offspring] will your crush [Satan’s] head, and you [Satan] will strike his heel.” Genesis 3:15.

First of all, this means that Jesus would come and defeat death and the grave on the cross! Jesus said that He came to destroy the works of Satan. Jesus was given all authority in heaven and on earth; then He told us to GO! He said He will be with us always, even until the end of the age. He told us to bring the Kingdom and disciple the nations!

So, secondly, this also means that we will bruise our heel kicking Satan out! Romans 16:20, Paul says, “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.” I John 3:8. Romans 12:21 says, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” One thing that Jesus says over and over again in Revelation, especially in regards to the end times: “Overcome–overcome–overcome–overcome!” There are many rewards He lists for those who overcome! (I highly recommend you read them in Revelation 2, 3 & 22). Let us not be like that generation of complaining Israelites that were afraid to go into the promised land and kick the enemy out! After that, there was another generation that got it–and did it! Today, in regards to the end times, I think that generation is you! Your children and babies are part of the plan too! Jesus reminded us in the book of Matthew of Psalm 8:2, “From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.”

In summary, our Father God prophesied in Genesis that we would defeat Satan. He then encourages us over and over again to overcome Satan. Finally He prophesied that His prophesy will come true! Revelation 12:11 says, “They triumphed over him [Satan] by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.” He is saying that we WILL become His Light and Love in the world; and we WILL overcome!

The only thing that will remain on this earth after this whole thing goes down is God’s Kingdom of Light and Love. Everything else will have been assimilated (by Love) or will have been destroyed.

Yes, darkness is increasing on the earth–but it is quite temporary. Light and Love will overcome it and will be permanent. So, who are you?

The Burning Ones

Billions have likely prayed, “…let Your Kingdom come, Your will be done…on earth as it is in heaven.” But I wonder sometimes if we really consider what we are asking for? Well, Daniel saw “as it is” in heaven. In Daniel 7:9-10 (NIV) he describes what he saw,

“As I looked,

…thrones were set in place,
and the Ancient of Days took his seat.
His clothing was as white as snow;
the hair of his head was white like wool.
His throne was flaming with fire,
and its wheels were all ablaze.
A river of fire was flowing,
coming out from before him.
Thousands upon thousands attended him;
ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him.
The court was seated,
and the books were opened.”

What an awesome sight! It can be presumed from this scene, that one thing we are asking for when we pray the Lord’s prayer, is for the Ancient of Days to come to earth, and for Him to bring His throne of flaming fire, and river of fire with Him!

Many might say, “How will we survive this?” As the prophet Isaiah foretold, “The sinners in Zion are terrified; trembling grips the godless: ‘Who of us can dwell with the consuming fire? Who of us can dwell with everlasting burning?’” (Isaiah 33:14, NIV)

It is only by the blood of the Lamb, that a way has been made for us! He made a way for us to invite the Burning One into our very hearts! When we do this…it sets our hearts ablaze and burns out anything that is not of Him! We, then, also become burning ones for Him!

Remember the two that walked with Jesus on the road to Emmaus, but didn’t know at first that it was Him? They said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” Just being close to Him set their hearts ablaze! Jesus wants the same thing for us! Remember also what happened later in the upper room? “Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.” They went out from there, and with signs following, they led thousands to the Lord! His desire is for our hearts to be set on fire…and for that fire to spread to others!

During his revelation, John saw the fire in Jesus’ eyes. It is the fire of his love! This love is described in Song of Songs 8:6-7, “Put me like a seal over your heart, Like a seal on your arm. For love is as strong as death, Jealousy is as severe as Sheol; Its flashes are flashes of fire, The very flame of the Lord. “Many waters cannot quench love, Nor will rivers overflow it…”

Let us, therefore, receive the consuming fire of His love into our hearts…and let us spread it to others and increase His Kingdom…and reduce the number of souls ultimately consumed as enemies of God by the fire of His jealous anger!

The Father's Heart and Purpose for the End Times