This coming year the goal of our study is to be able to discern the voice of the Lord better, first for our own guidance, but also in the unfolding events of our times. Nothing is more important for us to do this year than to love God more and follow Him more closely. Only then can we love each other the way that we are called to love.

          Christians are not called to follow a philosophy of life or a moral system of behavior; we are called to follow a Person—Christ. The Way is not a formula but a Person. Truth is not just getting our doctrines accurate, though we want to do that, but the Truth we are to follow is a Person—Jesus is the Truth. He must be our Life if we are to really know Him as the Way and the Truth.

We have been studying the important ability of mobilizing God’s people into the army they are called to be and how what is finished after they are gathered is just as important as gathering them. Presently, we have many who can mobilize large numbers of people, but few who have the vision, wisdom, or resolve to then build them into the force they are called to be, which is to equip them according to the Ephesians 4 mandate. This is not true of all, but of most.

Last week we discussed how the church is supposed to be a representation of the kingdom of God on the earth. For this reason it should be the best run, most efficient, righteous, just, and powerful organization there is, an expression of the character, nature, and authority of God. Even so, at times the church has done many things that are contrary to the nature of Christ.

The purpose of this study is not just to know and understand the biblical prophecies concerning these times, but to be prepared for the times. This week we will briefly look at how the message of the last two weeks is crucial for this. You can know what is going to happen and still not be spiritually prepared for it. You can be ignorant of what is going to happen, but be well prepared. However, it is better to both know and be prepared.

Immediately after Joshua’s encounter with the Captain of the hosts, he had to face the seemingly impossible, impregnable stronghold of Jericho. Of course, the Lord could have flicked Jericho with His little finger and it would have ceased to exist, but He did not want it to be that easy. Though the defeat of Jericho was going to require His intervention, the Lord was requiring His people to be vitally engaged in the fight for their promises. This is because of an important basic principle–anything that comes too fast or too easily is usually insignificant.  

Last week we discussed how the primary way we will escape from the mark of the beast is to take the mark of God by becoming a true bond-servant of Christ. One of the principles of the last days that we have not yet discussed is how the judgment of God will come forth. A fundamental aspect of His judgment is to simply let us reap what we sow. In Galatians 6:7-8, we are warned about this:

If you take the first three chapters of the Bible and the last three, you have a complete story. Everything in-between these six chapters is about one essential theme—restoration. Restoring the creation from the consequences of the fall begins with redeeming it, which of course was done by Jesus on the cross. There was a long process leading up to and preparing for the cross, and now there has been one leading from the cross to prepare for its application.

         A map will not help us unless we know where we are on the map and where we want to go. Before we can get to where we’re going in fulfilling our purpose, we must first know where we are and where we are going. Then we can easily see the next step.