The last two decades have witnessed the greatest advance of the gospel in history. It has been estimated that more people have become Christians in just the last two decades than have from the first century until this time. This is partly due to more people being alive now than have lived during the previous two thousand years. Without question, Christianity has made its greatest advances in recent years on a worldwide basis than ever before in its history.
The coming times are filled with even greater potential for the advancement of the gospel. With more and more churches, networks of churches, and ministries beginning to take advantage of these opportunities, it is likely that this present generation will seal its place as having been more fruitful in reaping the harvest than all of the other generations of Christians combined.
Other studies also reveal serious problems with immorality and eroding integrity eating away at the very foundations of the church in the West, where it has had its strongest base for the last five hundred years. These problems cannot be ignored without tragic consequences. If the church seizes the opportunities now open for the gospel, while also addressing these problems, the next few years will be even more fruitful and glorious. The gospel of the kingdom will be preached as we prepare the way for the Lord.
The Shaking Together
At the same time that there has been such an unprecedented advance of the gospel, in many other ways the world has been entering its darkest and most confusing time. This terrible time of darkness was clearly prophesied in Scripture, and it was allowed for a reason. In the same way that the nation of Israel failed in its covenant relationship with the Lord and was scattered over many nations, the church in history also failed and was likewise scattered into thousands of denominations. Just as Israel has been re-gathering to its inheritance in the natural, there is a corresponding re-gathering of the church to its spiritual inheritance. As we are told in I Corinthians 15:46, “However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual.” What is taking place in the natural is a forerunner and prophecy of what is about to take place in the spiritual realm.
The Jew has always been a prophecy of the condition of the nations. Just as Israel has been re-gathering to its promised land, but has no peace within or without, and is also still groping for its purpose, the church is likewise in a similar place even though it is, like Israel, being re-gathered to its land of promise. The nation of Israel will awaken to its purpose and its Messiah. When it does, we can expect the church to likewise awaken to its purpose in these times, which is linked to Israel’s purpose in the natural.
The spiritual seed of Abraham, those who are grafted into the vine by their faith, and the natural seed of Abraham, the Jew according to the flesh, will join in purpose. When they do, it will open a bridge between the heavenly and earthly realm leading to the restoration of all things that were lost by the Fall. Even death will ultimately be destroyed.
There was a time of about two thousand years in which the Lord worked almost exclusively through the Jews to lay the foundation for His plan for the redemption and restoration of the earth. There has likewise been a time of about two thousand years of the “time of the Gentiles” in which He has worked almost exclusively through the Gentiles. Contrary to what many believe, what we are about to enter into is not another time of the Jews, but a time of the Jews and Gentiles being joined together in purpose. We will witness the Jew, the natural seed of Abraham, and the church, the spiritual seed of Abraham, becoming the“one new man” Paul wrote about in Ephesians Two. When these two are joined, it will open the gate between the heavens and the earth for the kingdom of God to be established on the earth.
Because of the terrible history that both Israel and the church have suffered, and the way that the greatest threat to the existence of the Jewish people came from the institutional church or “Christian nations,” the gulf between Israel and the church will take a great miracle to cross. This is a reflection of the similar gulf between God and mankind which seems to be greater than ever. How will these be bridged?
Just as all of Israel’s problems are really beyond human remedy and will take a miracle from God to solve, so are the church’s and the world’s problems. The great troubles at the end of this age are the result of mankind trying to run this world without God, a lesson that will finally and profoundly be learned. The mess we have made can only be resolved by God. However, He will resolve the entire mess that we have made.
In the meantime, between now and these great miracles that will surely come, the greatest of all being the return of the Son of God Himself, it is our calling to help prepare the way for His return. How do we do this? In the prophecy that was quoted from Isaiah in relation to John the Baptist, who prepared the way for Him the first time He came, the same principle applies for how we are to prepare the way for His return:
A voice is calling, “Clear the way for the Lord in the wilderness; make smooth in the desert a highway for our God.
“Let every valley be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; and let the rough ground become a plain, and the rugged terrain a broad valley.
“Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all flesh will see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken” (Isaiah 40:3-5).
Here we see that a highway must be prepared for the Lord in the wilderness, “Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed.” So building this highway is first. How do we do this?
If you have ever been part of a crew building a highway, you know this is some of the most difficult of all construction work. As this text declares, it requires mountains and hills to be brought down, and valleys to be built up. It is slow, tedious, and messy, as anyone who has lived near the building of a highway can surely attest. At times, it is grueling work for days, weeks, or even months to make the smallest amount of progress. There are times when it is easier and faster than at other times, but more often it is grueling, slow, and fraught with constant danger.
Then, after extraordinary labors, when the highway is finished, people will drive on it and go zipping at 70 mph through the same place where progress was at times measured in inches a day. Very few of those people who go merrily along the highway, which so much labor was put into, will ever think for even a moment about those who built it, much less ever thank them. Few who build highways are celebrated, but they have made the progress of the modern world possible, both in the spiritual and natural.
In this same way, the job of preparing the way for the Lord is hard, being done through the wilderness, the most inhospitable territory, and the progress is usually slow and difficult. Few will thank us for what we are doing, and some will curse us for the mess we are making, especially if it brings them any inconvenience. Few who see the present mess have the vision to see how much better it will be when the highway is finished. It is quite a thankless task.
Even so, for those who have labored so long and so hard to watch others get on the path they have cut with such difficulty, and just take off, may be hard. However, that is the reason for building a highway—to make it much easier and faster for those who come behind us. If we have been successful, others will be able to go as far as we have much faster, easier, and safer. That is in fact how church history has been.
The great souls in history took ground that future generations could walk over much easier, faster, and safer. A good example is Count Zinzendorf and the Moravians, who took a generation to establish the principles of modern missions. They not only cut a path that others could follow, but at times they wandered up box canyons and had to turn around, seemingly losing a lot of time and resources with their mistakes. However, even those diversions saved future generations from having to make the same ones. They prepared a highway and a good map to go with it.
We only stand where we are today because others fought through the forests and underbrush, cut down mountains and hills, and built up the low places and spiritual swamps that were full of danger and disease. They left us a wonderful highway so we could easily make it this far with relatively little effort. Let us resolve to carry this highway as far as we can in our own generation, making it much easier for the next generation to make it as far as we have, and then go farther.
There will be a generation that actually finishes the job. It could even be ours. We may go around the next turn, cut through the next acre of underbrush, and come face to face with His glory. Even if we are not the ones that will finish the job, let us do our part as well as it can be done. We prepare the way for the Lord and prepare the way for His kingdom to come to earth by building a highway so that His will is done here just as it is in heaven.
We will look at this highway in a bit more depth, seek to locate our position on it, and where we go next. If we have been wise in raising up those with true prophetic gifts, maybe we could send scouts ahead to map out the territory well enough so that we do not go up any more box canyons. Maybe they can see easier paths, which to us would look like diversions from a straight line, but in fact will make our progress toward the goal much easier, faster, or safer.
If the highway becomes more clear, maybe others, who are now all cutting their own individual paths in various directions, will join together, making the progress of our generation much greater. Instead of doing so much work that will not really be used, cutting down a lot of underbrush that will be destined to grow right back because no one is going to follow on that path, wouldn’t it be better to see our efforts actually result in a highway that is useful and leads to the kingdom? There is a highway being built. We should all want to be sure that we are a part of building the one that really prepares the way for the King.
Metamorphosis
This is the process through which a caterpillar is changed from a worm, that has to crawl and conform to the contours of the earth, to a butterfly that soars above the earth. This is the process that the church is now going through. However, just as breaking out of its cocoon is the greatest struggle a butterfly will have to endure, for the church to break out of its cocoon will also be its greatest struggle yet. Even so, just as this struggle is required to strengthen the butterfly so it can flap its great wings, this struggle will be required to strengthen the church so that it, too, can use the great wings that it is being given.
The church is changing very dramatically in its appearance and function. What is now taking place will be so dramatic that few will be able to compare the caterpillar that she was to the beautiful butterfly that she will soon be. However, the caterpillar stage was part of the process and was necessary. We must never forget those who walked through some of the church’s most difficult times, enduring the difficulties to build the highway for those who followed. We must also go on to our purpose and begin to fly.
True last day apostles and prophets are now maturing and will start to be released throughout the earth over the next few years. The witness of the Holy Spirit through the church will increase until it is impossible to escape the witness that Jesus Christ is the Lord any place on the earth. The Lord is soon coming back to possess what He purchased on the cross. A great army is being raised up to prepare the way for Him.
The currency of the age to come is the true riches of the kingdom. These true riches are the authority over the conditions of this age. This authority will be given to the faithful who have built their lives seeking first the kingdom. The Lord is at this time preparing messengers who will be entrusted with more power than has ever been witnessed on the earth before. These are the times that even the prophets of old desired to see, and to be chosen to live and serve in them is one of the great honors that heaven can bestow. These are the times that those who live for God have dreamed about. Let us not waste this greatest of all privileges, but resolve to give ourselves to this great cause with the devotion that it deserves.
Church life itself will become so radically different than it has been, having broken out of the cocoon of being reduced to a couple of meetings and a few hours a week, to being a living, functioning body of Christ twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. “Church” will begin breaking out in every place that you find people. Likewise, the Lord is raising up those who will be apostles and prophets to industry, education, the media, and government. These apostles and prophets are the surveyors and engineers who are now preparing for highways to be built into these realms. Many will be possessed for the kingdom and become a foundation for the coming kingdom to be built upon.
Unprecedented power, authority, and resources will be coming into the church as she begins to take on her true calling and purpose, having been transformed from the worm into the glorious heavenly creature she is called to be. This transformation of the church is going to begin with many who will not wait for the church before making their own transformation. Just as the breakthrough created by Gideon’s little band of three hundred woke the whole nation up to finish off their enemies and take the spoil, breakthroughs by a few will result in glorious victories for many.
Light and Darkness
For the unbelieving and unfaithful, the times that are unfolding will not be a dream, but a nightmare. We are entering the time of increasingly devastating disasters—human, political, and natural. This is the time that was spoken of in Hebrews 12:26-27:
And His voice shook the earth then, but now He has promised, saying, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth, but also the heaven.”
And this expression, “Yet once more,” denotes the removing of those things which can be shaken, as of created things, in order that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.
In the time ahead, everything, including every government, industry, business, organization, and individual life that is not built upon kingdom principles, will be shaken until it totters and ultimately collapses. By the grace and mercy of God, this will come in increasing waves, giving all time to repent before the next, bigger wave comes. The Lord is being faithful to warn all who will hear His voice.
Acts of Man
The unrepentant blame God for every bad thing that happens. Even the insurance companies call tragedies “acts of God.” However, most of what is coming upon the world is man’s doing, not God’s. The reason for the great time of trouble, or the great tribulation that is at the end of the age, is found in Galatians 6:7-8:
Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.
For the one who sows to his own flesh shall from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit shall from the Spirit reap eternal life.
Even many of the things that are considered “natural disasters” are the result of man, who was given authority over the earth, being in rebellion, and therefore out of harmony with the Creator and the creation. This is not God doing it, but man bringing it upon himself. At the same time that the seeds of trouble are being reaped, so are the seeds of the kingdom maturing. In the midst of the increasing instability and shaking, there will emerge realms of stability and peace such as the world has not seen since the Fall. This is articulated in the verses that follow, Galatians 6:8-10:
For the one who sows to his own flesh shall from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit shall from the Spirit reap eternal life.
And let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary.
So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all men, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.
It is for this reason that disaster response and relief will become one of the most important mission fields of the church in the future. This is a calling upon the church, and our response to it will determine to a large degree how much of the currency of the kingdom we will be entrusted with. Now is the time to prepare for this.
We need to also underline in our thinking the command, “while we have opportunity, let us do good to all men, and especially those who are of the household of faith.” Let us never forget that God loves all, and as we are told in I Timothy 2:3-6:
This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,
who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,
who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony borne at the proper time.
As troubles increase, we must not take the position and mentality that people are just getting what they deserve. Which one of us wants what we deserve? “...Mercy triumphs over judgment” (James 2:13). As we are told in Romans 2:4, “Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?” The kindness of God, demonstrated through His people during the coming troubles, will lead many to repentance.
In the coming times of trouble, we must fortify ourselves, not just for the sake of our own safety and preservation, but for showing and extending the grace, mercy, and kindness of God. Because we, too, will reap what we sow. If we want to reap grace, we need to sow grace. If we want to reap mercy, we need to sow mercy. The wise will do this every chance that they get.
As the Lord said in Matthew 13:39, “...the harvest is the end of the age....” The harvest that is the end of the age is the reaping of everything that has been sown in man, both the good and the evil. The great troubles are the reaping of what man has sown by trying to live and rule without God. For all of eternity, what has taken place on the earth will be a witness to all of creation that this should never be tried again.
There has also been much good sown in man, even the seed that brought forth Christ, and seeds whose fruit will give birth to His kingdom. These, too, will become increasingly manifest. For this reason we will see an increasing polarization. The righteous will become more righteous, and the evil will likewise increase. This is the ultimate conflict between the light and darkness that is prophesied in such places as Isaiah 60:1-2:
“Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
“For behold, darkness will cover the earth, and deep darkness the peoples, but the Lord will rise upon you, and His glory will appear upon you.”
As we see here that darkness is covering the earth, and deep darkness the peoples, the glory of the Lord is rising upon His people, and appearing upon them. This appearing of His glory will be a literal, visible glory that begins to appear on His people. The result of this is stated in the following verses, Isaiah 60:3-5:
“And nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.
“Lift up your eyes round about, and see; they all gather together, they come to you. Your sons will come from afar, and your daughters will be carried in the arms.
“Then you will see and be radiant, and your heart will thrill and rejoice; because the abundance of the sea will be turned to you, the wealth of the nations will come to you.”
Another Wave of Shaking
It is hurricane season again. One storm last year, Katrina, brought the wealthiest and most powerful nation on the earth to its knees. It revealed huge problems in the very fabric of the nation, which if we do not address, will prove even more devastating in the time to come. The primary weakness is stated in II Kings 17:33, “They feared the Lord, but served their own gods...” (NKJV). We have a nation where the overwhelming majority of the people call on the name of the Lord. The majority even claim to be born again, and they actually may be, but the same ones give themselves to serving many other gods. The Lord disciplines those whom He loves, and great discipline will come upon the United States because of God’s love for it.
The Ring of Fire (a zone of frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions which encircles the basin of the Pacific Ocean) is now shaking with earthquakes and tsunamis almost weekly. The West Coast of the United States is on that same Ring of Fire, and is especially vulnerable to earthquakes and volcanoes. The only reason why there has not been far more disasters on the West Coast has been the grace of God, which is restraining them. There were many great churches and Christians along the Gulf Coast region who were devastated by Hurricane Katrina. Though they may not understand it, Katrina was in response to the prayers of those provoked by the growing wickedness around them. Likewise, many great churches, church movements, and some of our greatest spiritual heritage are found along the West Coast of the nation. Though they themselves may not understand it, a shaking is coming for their sakes.
Warnings about the bird flu are now nearly a daily drumbeat, and though authorities are trying not to cause panic, it is obvious that this could be a disaster of biblical proportions, overshadowing all other natural disasters in history. It is by far the most frightening of all potential natural disasters looming over the world, but like all of the others, it can be stopped or lessened in its impact by our intercession, and where needed, repentance.
Even worse than the potential natural disasters are the disasters that men try to inflict on one another. News that Iran already has weapons-grade plutonium recently stunned the world. North Korea tested missiles with increasingly frightening range. Then a new conflict broke out in the Middle East that threatens to widen into a much bigger conflict, while terrorists strike a terrible blow in India. Then we must absorb the daily body count from Iraq. Could “the great tribulation” be much worse?
It is understandable that a huge and growing percentage of people are now suffering from panic attacks where anxiety simply becomes overwhelming. On every front, problems are growing beyond any human remedy. However, we are not to fear these times, but can rest in the fact that the Lord has everything perfectly under control. He knew they were all going to happen, and He spoke specifically of these times. As we read in Luke 21:25-28:
“And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and upon the earth dismay among nations, in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves,
men fainting from fear and the expectation of the things which are coming upon the world; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
“And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
“But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
The Lord clearly warned His people about these times. They are upon us now, and we can rejoice because His kingdom will soon come. When His kingdom comes, not only will every human problem be resolved, but both mankind and the earth will be restored to the paradise they were created to be. It is going to be better than we could have ever imagined.
Though it may seem that events are cascading out of control so fast that the end of this age must be imminent, the time until the end of this age and the beginning of the new will be measured in decades, not years. The next two years will be some of the most dangerous and critical yet, but they will resolve some things that must be addressed so that the world can have a few years of relative calm.
Peace will break out for a period of time. However, we do not want to waste the present trials, and we will need to use the coming reprieve to prepare the emerging generation for what will mark it for eternity as one of the greatest ever. Some of the greatest messengers of power the world has ever seen are being prepared right now to preach the gospel of the kingdom throughout the earth.
The New Breed
Just as true warriors run to the sound of battle, not away from it, there are kingdom messengers who will not run from disaster and problems, but to them. They will not shrink back from any level of chaos, but rather bring order and peace to it. As the world continues to fall apart, they will stand on solid ground, and in due time begin to draw the attention of the world because of it. These will not lose their peace in the midst of any threat or problem because they will have built their lives on the kingdom that cannot be shaken by anything happening on the earth. Their peace will calm many storms.
We are in the time when those who have built their lives on the kingdom of God, and those who have not, will become increasingly clear. One of the basic characteristics of those whose lives have been established on the kingdom of God is that they will have peace and come alive, even thriving during times of trouble. This is because they have been prepared to live in the greatest time of trouble the world has ever known. They prepared by building their lives on the kingdom, not on the things of this world that are so easily shaken.
This new breed are the friends of the Holy Spirit, who saw the world and moved upon it in its original state of chaos, and will do so again upon the chaos mankind has created by trying to live without God. Just as the Holy Spirit brought forth a beautiful creation before, He will bring forth a new creation after this chaos that even eclipses the first in its beauty and harmony.
It is simply impossible for mankind to mess up things so badly that the Holy Spirit cannot fix them, quickly and easily. All we have to do is turn to Him and ask. In preparation for the restoration of mankind and the earth that is coming, He will begin to move upon the problems and chaos in the lives of all who call upon the name of the Lord. We are going to know the Holy Spirit as the One who can fix anything, easily and quickly. As we are charged in Philippians 4:6-7:
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
The Old and the Bold
There is a saying in aviation that “there are old pilots and bold pilots, but there are not many old, bold pilots.” The inference is that if you are too bold as a pilot, you will not live to be old. That may be true in aviation, but it is not true in the kingdom. Those who will last the longest in the time to come will be those who have walked in the boldest faith.
Faith is a combination of boldness and courage, which is rooted in a profound trust in the Lord. Boldness, courage, and trust in the Lord will be increasingly demanded by those who will stay on the path of life. Of course, many brothers and sisters in Christ throughout the world have lived in such a place for a long time, having to walk in bold faith to survive every day. The United States is one of but a few very rare nations where radical Christianity has ever been tolerated without severe and continuous mortal persecution. Even the so-called “Christian nations” have rarely, if ever, tolerated radical Christians. They may encourage institutional or almost any form of non-threatening lukewarm Christianity, but not radical faith.
It has likewise been rare for even the United States to tolerate radical Christians, though rarely has that persecution been unto death. Just a few decades ago, it was nearly impossible for Pentecostals to get a job if it were known that they spoke in tongues. Today, there are forces promoting the freedom to do or say just about anything anywhere, while laws are passed or court decisions are handed down to deny Christians even the most basic freedom of speech. Students can freely use curse words in class, but if they dare to mention the name of Jesus, they can be suspended. Teachers can promote free sex and give out condoms, but if they ever give a student a Bible or a religious tract they will likely be fired. It is interesting that the same is not necessarily true if a teacher gives a student a Koran.
True, radical Christianity, which does not seek political correctness, will always be offensive to those who are controlled by the fear of man. True Christians, who seek to live lives in obedience to God, are, and almost always will be, under continual attack everywhere in this present age. If we want to get along with this present world, we will have to compromise our faith. True Christianity will always be persecuted. Yet, true Christianity is the only hope for the world and for those who are doing the persecuting. If we do not radically obey, the salt quickly loses its ability to preserve. So true Christians will never be prone to seek security or approval from the world, but from God alone. To live that way is also the greatest freedom and greatest peace that we can have.
It Was the Best of Times and the Worst of Times
Not only the United States, but much of the world was traumatized by the Hurricane Katrina disaster. The world watched in anxious astonishment as the wealthiest, most powerful nation on earth was brought to her knees by a single storm—the worst problems being caused by the breaking of a single levee. How could this have happened? Can it happen again? Even more importantly, what can we do about it?
Just as a bad automobile accident can leave a family wounded and affected for years, Hurricane Katrina will have an impact on our nation for years to come. However, a great deal of good can come from it, if we handle it right. Just as a bad car accident can make better drivers out of everyone touched by it for a long time, and make them appreciate each other much more, Katrina can do the same for us. The point of this Bulletin is to help us use every coming storm or disaster to become stronger and better.
President Bush was appointed to serve through eight years of troubled waters, and to appoint Supreme Court Justices who could begin to reverse the persecution of Christians in America and the evil that will bring much more severe discipline from the Lord if not repented of. To fulfill its purpose as a nation, the United States will have to walk in an increasingly lonely place, enduring the rejection from many other nations. The approval and favor of God is worth much more than all the other nations could ever offer us.
Likewise, Christians who walk without compromise, repenting of the things that the Lord disapproves of, taking a stand for truth and righteousness, will not have many friends in this world. We will, however, help save the world from destruction and prepare the way for the Lord.