Hello all!
This morning (17/8/13) I received a dream from the Lord that I feel is quite important to share. I don't remember everything precisely, but my best recollection is as follows: In the dream I was addressing a very large group of school students. Although I was sharing with them, it was also a time where they could raise their hands and ask questions, so it also became a question and answer time. I began to talk about prophecy, and said that God gave prophecy so that we would be encouraged to walk with Him uprightly in the present time (so that we would make a choice to follow Him uprightly in the present). I believe that I was also speaking about how at times in our walks with God it becomes very hard to follow God and to continue to love Him because of what we experience. I gave a simple illustration to this effect, saying that, 'it's like if we had a friend that began to starve us (imagining he had the power to do so)' it would be very hard to continue to love that friend.' Time to share then began to run out, but before the bell went, one more question was allowed. When I chose a student, instead of asking a question, that student gave a Bible verse. The student said, 'Hebrews 2v2-57.' I tried to look for it quickly, knowing that time was going to run out soon. I looked up the scripture, but said that it was too much to read out then and there. I then thought that the scripture he gave might have just been for me, but when I asked as much, two people that were with me laughed, like it was ridiculous of me to think such a thing. But I didn't think it was so ridiculous because it could've been.
The Lord is speaking about a few very specific things here. Firstly, He is encouraging His people to continue to love Him, despite what they see as Him not giving them what they want, and so 'starving them' (in a particular sense). Sometimes when we don't get what we want, we see that as God depriving us of what we need, and so starving us of the hunger (desire) inside of us. However we must remember that God never starves us of what we need, but only of what we want. He desires us to continue to love Him as our friend, despite what He is allowing us to experience in the way of great hunger of our desires. This is often extremely hard to do, but nevertheless this is what the Lord wants us to do.
Secondly, the Lord is wanting us to pay careful attention to what He is saying regarding, not only what I've mentioned about, but also prophecy. He is wanting us to listen to the prophecy He gives because His intention is that in hearing what is to come, we'll be encouraged to walk uprightly with Him in the present. That is the main point of prophecy. In hearing what is to come, we are greatly motivated to walk with God in the present so that we'll remain spiritually safe and secure.
One of the most important points of the dream was the following verse that was given to me by a student:
Heb 2v2: 'For if the message spoken by angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, how shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation?'
Many at the moment do not believe in the gospel, and are ignoring the message of it. These people are in great danger! In fact, those that ignore the gospel of the good news of Jesus Christ, even after it has been explained to them and revealed to them, are still in their sins and the Word says are condemned already if they refuse to believe it:
John 3v18: Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.
Those of you out there that are ignoring God's way of salvation need to accept it and repent while you still can. God loves you so much that He sent His Son to die for you, so that you could receive the forgiveness of your sins and enter a relationship with Jesus. If, after you have heard about Jesus and salvation many times, you still ignore it and do not repent, then you are condemned by the Lord, and are in danger of great punishment. A time of great worldwide trouble is on its way, along with great judgments from God, and if you reject God, you are in danger of experiencing those awful things. Not only does judgment await you now in this life, but also judgment in the way of hell in the life to come. Don't ignore the great salvation that is offered to you! God is a gracious, merciful and patient God, and chances are you are experiencing all of those good things now, but the experience of those things will end one day if you don't accept the gospel and accept Him. Read Isaiah 57, because God shows quite clearly that He loves those that accept Him, but those that are wicked and love their wickedness and their idols were be destroyed by God. When you cry out to God for help, the Lord will not hear you, but will say to you, "When you cry out for help, let your collection of idols save you! The wind will carry them off, a mere breath will blow them away." But if you received God, and accept His salvation, He will look after you.
Friday, 16 August 2013
Monday, 12 August 2013
LED BY WHAT WE'RE FED
Often we make it tough for ourselves in trying to determine what God's will for our life is when it comes to a number of issues and questions for ourselves that we have. The type of questions we often ask ourselves are usually; 'What Church group shall we go to? What friends should we have? With whom should we meet? Where shall we go? Who shall we learn from? What stage of life should we enter next? What should we be doing? What should we be gaining? Where should we be going? Who should we be? We may even begin to feel as though God is excluding us, ignoring us, and not allowing us to enter and be led by His will as others are entering it and being led by it (how the woman below could've felt if she didn't use the faith given her). And in doubting in this way, and asking these things, we try and sort things out and the will of God out from the wrong way around. We make what is so very simple, into something extremely complex. And we fail to identify with what the Lord always wants to test our hearts with at whatever stage of life we are at. The Lord always wants to test our hearts with the question; 'What do you really want?' If the answer is Jesus, what we shall do, where we shall go, who we shall let into our lives and what we shall be busy with is sorted out through one very simple desire and it's subsequent action- we shall seek for the King's food, where the King obviously is:
Matt 25v25 The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said.
26 He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”
27 “Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”
28 Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed at that moment.
If, like the woman, we are willing to become as little children, and to simply seek in our lives for the master's bread, no matter if it is even the crumbs that we are getting, then we shall be sure to find Jesus, no matter where we go, no matter who we are led to and no matter what circles of people or places we find ourselves in. If, like the woman, we are willing to humble ourselves, and to seek the Lord's bread wherever it may be found, as best we can according to the opportunities given to us, then the Lord will provide for us. Yes, it may be a day of small things, yes, where we find ourselves, or where we find we are employed, or who we may be associated with may take us by surprise, or even have us wonder at times why some appear to have the loaf of life compared to our crumbs, and yet if we submit ourselves to the opportunities and open doors the Lord has given us nonetheless, we can be sure that the Lord will work out His intended purpose for and through us. The test is always whether we are willing to accept the Lord's will, and whether we truly desire Him and His food- or whether really we are after our own will, and the food of our own making.
The woman humbled herself, and sort even for the crumbs of truth in her life. She followed Jesus, even though there was no outward beauty that we should desire Him. She followed Him because she knew that where He went, there the will and provision of God was. If we are simply willing to go where God had provided for us, and provided the truth for us, we will be sure to find Jesus, no matter how humble looking His glory and goodness appears to ours or others' natural eye. If we are happy with the crumbs, then we'll find the crumbs, and they will satisfy, His grace will be sufficient for us. If we are not satisfied with the crumbs, and with Jesus in our lives (and the humble appearances He has designed for us), then we shall never be satisfied, but we will forever be trying to figure everything out in our lives and understand everything, rejecting Jesus' desire for us to just trust Him. The healing the woman needed was simply found by finding Jesus in her life, not by figuring everything out. Jesus called the woman's faith great because she knew that Jesus had what she needed. God will not give us everything we want, but He'll provide what we need if we're willing to submit to His very simple and humble looking will for our lives.
HOW TO WATCH
Matt 24v42 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. 43 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.
45 “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? 46 It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. 47 Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.
Luke 21v34 “Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap. 35 For it will come on all those who live on the face of the whole earth. 36 Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.”
It struck me that in these two passages, if we are really watching as we should be, that it will mean that we are continually serving the Lord, and that this service is not just confined to a few whom the Lord has gifted. The Luke passage puts all His people in the category of those that are gifted and those that should be actively serving with the gift given to them, because both those things are needed in order to obey what the Lord is telling us to do here, in actively feeding His people. Often, as Christians, we have believed that there are only a few who are called to serve the Lord specifically, and so, wittingly or unwittingly, we have given most of our attention, and the prime place of our hearts not to the things of God, but to the things of men. But here we have been mistaken and sadly deceived, and there is a specific scripture that reveals just how. When Paul explained what gifts were used for the service of God, he ended on a very interesting note- 1 Cor 12v29 'Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? 31 But earnestly desire the best gifts.' Because this passage repeats the phrase, 'Are all....', often men have said that this shows that all are not necessarily gifted in any sense in these ways. But notice how the passage ends, 'BUT earnestly desire the best gifts.' The point of the passage wasn't to say that some cannot be gifted in any of the senses listed in this chapter, but that EVERYONE should desire the best (best in the sense that they are the most helpful for others) gifts. In other words there shouldn't be anyone in the Church that doesn't desire the best gifts of God, so that they may be able to serve Him and benefit His Church (by His grace and power). Yes, no doubt in some cases the Lord gives special and particular grace to some, in using them in greater capacities than others, and yet that in no way means that others are left out, or that they are less important in the Kingdom of God, or in His service. Every Christian must realise that they are called to serve, and to feed His people!
One of the best things about the Corinthian Church was that they were so keen to be obedient in this way- 1 Cor 14v31: For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged. Every Christian can feed their fellow brother or sister in this way, because we all need encouragement, even on a daily basis: 1 Thess 5v11: 'Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.' And in Hebrews 10v24-25 'And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.' As time has gone on in the Kingdom, really His people should be more and more increasing in this area of feeding His people and encouraging them. Not in the sense that we should be encouraging each other to follow our own hearts, and follow those things in life whose only goal is our own happiness, but that we should be encouraging each other all the more to watch our own spiritual house, and to see how we can stir each other up to encourage each other. If we are taken up with the possessions in this life, physical or otherwise, then we will have very little care whether Jesus makes us rulers of His possessions in the future, because we will have very little love for them (v47). But if we have very much love for His possessions now (His people and His Kingdom), then our aim in life right now will be for those things, and will be set on how best we can serve and encourage each other to follow Jesus in our lives.
When we stop being fruitful in this area, it is because our hearts are becoming weighed down, either with the anxieties of life, or the pleasures the world is throwing our way. When spiritual things aren't really our love, we will have no desire or love of serving the Lord, and no real care if we are encouraging and feeding our brothers and sisters. All our care will be will be for ourselves and how best we can please ourselves. There is a place for looking after ourselves for sure, but if service for the Kingdom isn't our number one priority, then our looking after ourselves will become disproportionate to what it should be, and so will all other loves in our lives. When we let our spiritual house be broken into, it slowly becomes a fleshly house, till all its furniture only reflects the fashion of the world, and not the fashion of the Kingdom. One day all desires within Christians will be Godly, or will be hellish, because that is what some have truly wanted. If we check our hearts now, and check our service now, we'll be living for what truly matters in the light of eternity. God is desiring that we watch, and one of the main ways we are to do this effectively is to be serving Him now, feeding His people with continual encouragement. God is desiring that we should not let our spiritual houses be broken into because of the anxieties of life, but that we should realise that our Lord is coming soon, and He wants us to be ready to rule and reign with Him!
45 “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? 46 It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. 47 Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.
Luke 21v34 “Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap. 35 For it will come on all those who live on the face of the whole earth. 36 Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.”
It struck me that in these two passages, if we are really watching as we should be, that it will mean that we are continually serving the Lord, and that this service is not just confined to a few whom the Lord has gifted. The Luke passage puts all His people in the category of those that are gifted and those that should be actively serving with the gift given to them, because both those things are needed in order to obey what the Lord is telling us to do here, in actively feeding His people. Often, as Christians, we have believed that there are only a few who are called to serve the Lord specifically, and so, wittingly or unwittingly, we have given most of our attention, and the prime place of our hearts not to the things of God, but to the things of men. But here we have been mistaken and sadly deceived, and there is a specific scripture that reveals just how. When Paul explained what gifts were used for the service of God, he ended on a very interesting note- 1 Cor 12v29 'Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? 31 But earnestly desire the best gifts.' Because this passage repeats the phrase, 'Are all....', often men have said that this shows that all are not necessarily gifted in any sense in these ways. But notice how the passage ends, 'BUT earnestly desire the best gifts.' The point of the passage wasn't to say that some cannot be gifted in any of the senses listed in this chapter, but that EVERYONE should desire the best (best in the sense that they are the most helpful for others) gifts. In other words there shouldn't be anyone in the Church that doesn't desire the best gifts of God, so that they may be able to serve Him and benefit His Church (by His grace and power). Yes, no doubt in some cases the Lord gives special and particular grace to some, in using them in greater capacities than others, and yet that in no way means that others are left out, or that they are less important in the Kingdom of God, or in His service. Every Christian must realise that they are called to serve, and to feed His people!
One of the best things about the Corinthian Church was that they were so keen to be obedient in this way- 1 Cor 14v31: For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged. Every Christian can feed their fellow brother or sister in this way, because we all need encouragement, even on a daily basis: 1 Thess 5v11: 'Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.' And in Hebrews 10v24-25 'And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.' As time has gone on in the Kingdom, really His people should be more and more increasing in this area of feeding His people and encouraging them. Not in the sense that we should be encouraging each other to follow our own hearts, and follow those things in life whose only goal is our own happiness, but that we should be encouraging each other all the more to watch our own spiritual house, and to see how we can stir each other up to encourage each other. If we are taken up with the possessions in this life, physical or otherwise, then we will have very little care whether Jesus makes us rulers of His possessions in the future, because we will have very little love for them (v47). But if we have very much love for His possessions now (His people and His Kingdom), then our aim in life right now will be for those things, and will be set on how best we can serve and encourage each other to follow Jesus in our lives.
When we stop being fruitful in this area, it is because our hearts are becoming weighed down, either with the anxieties of life, or the pleasures the world is throwing our way. When spiritual things aren't really our love, we will have no desire or love of serving the Lord, and no real care if we are encouraging and feeding our brothers and sisters. All our care will be will be for ourselves and how best we can please ourselves. There is a place for looking after ourselves for sure, but if service for the Kingdom isn't our number one priority, then our looking after ourselves will become disproportionate to what it should be, and so will all other loves in our lives. When we let our spiritual house be broken into, it slowly becomes a fleshly house, till all its furniture only reflects the fashion of the world, and not the fashion of the Kingdom. One day all desires within Christians will be Godly, or will be hellish, because that is what some have truly wanted. If we check our hearts now, and check our service now, we'll be living for what truly matters in the light of eternity. God is desiring that we watch, and one of the main ways we are to do this effectively is to be serving Him now, feeding His people with continual encouragement. God is desiring that we should not let our spiritual houses be broken into because of the anxieties of life, but that we should realise that our Lord is coming soon, and He wants us to be ready to rule and reign with Him!
ON A PERSONAL NOTE
I rarely do this, but in light of the amount that I've written and posted to Facebook in the past, and in light of what, by the grace of God, I've been told to write in the future, I thought it would be good to explain exactly why I write what I do. I'm not sure how people have taken it all, because rarely has there been any feedback at all, but for those that have taken the time to read some of the things I've written, I thought I'd explain why I've done what I've done.
A few months ago now I wrote a series of articles of what I called 'The Coming Storm.' I didn't write this because I just woke up one morning and thought hard things were coming, but I wrote it because the Lord showed it to me in dreams, and not just one dream, but many dreams over time. Towards the end of the series of articles I wrote, I still began to wonder if what I had written was really true, and whether I had still missed what the Lord was saying to me. One morning during this time I woke up one morning and received the brightest, clearest vision I've ever had. Right in front of me, as though it were actually there, I saw a pen that looked like it was from heaven. It was gold and it had what looked like a white heavenly feather on the end of it. I knew this was the Lord's encouragement to keep writing, and that what I have written, has been of Him and from Him. I don't write this to try and make something of myself, because I'm only the chief of sinners saved by grace, but I pass it on now to explain why I have and will be writing the way I do in the future.
After the series on 'The Coming Storm,' I really wondered what to write next. I thought that maybe the Lord wanted me to leave it at that, and just be quiet for a while. Then I received two dreams. One that showed me quite clearly that I was to talk about 'watching,' and another where I was told 'stir up watchfulness.' So I guess you know what I'll be talking about now. It is not to have a go at anyone, not to make something of myself or to tell anyone that I'm better than anyone else, but it's because I've been told I need to serve in a particular way, and so I'll be doing that, because I need to be obedient. It's not for me to question why, but just to do it, and to trust that the Lord will use it for some of His people. The Lord has shown me how weak I am, and continues to, so believe me when I say I don't do it because I think I've qualified in some way, or that I'm stronger than other people, I just do it because I know His blood continues to wash me, His grace continues to be sufficient for me, and because His righteousness alone justifies and qualifies me to serve Him.
A large part of me would rather the Lord have never shown me what He has, and never had me write a lot of what He's given me. It's predictable that people have and will continue to think you are very strange and even severely misinformed, but unfortunately, that's the way it goes. It's also been pretty predictable how people have ignored and isolated me too, but again, that's to be expected and I know that that's the price you pay, and I don't hold that against anyone. The Lord showed me years ago now that people would wish that I'd just shut up, and in one sense I get that, because in my natural self I wish I hadn't been shown some of the things I have. On a positive note, no doubt there are some out there that have believed what I've written, and the Lord knows those who have.
Above all, just please know my heart here. My writings are not to lecture people, or to lord anything over anyone. It's not to try and make myself something or to frighten people. It's not to be condescending or to condemn anyone or to make people feel bad. However, no doubt I've slipped up in that area at times, so please forgive me for that (and Lord forgive me!). I've written simply to encourage people in their walk with the Lord, and prophecy it seems, will always be a large part of how the Lord gets me to do that. I've also written because, mercifully, the Lord has given me a heart for the Church and for His people, to see us all be the bride He wants us to be. First and fore-mostly the Lord deals with myself, and I'm always His biggest project (in terms of needing the most fixing!). I'm slow, and stubborn, very weak and need to change in big ways, but He is strong, good and merciful, and is very patient with me.
So anyway, I hope that helps you to see my heart and the reason I write in the way that I do. A time of great worldwide suffering is coming in the future, but the Lord will be sufficient for His Church and for His people, and He will protect and provide according to His good wisdom. His grace will be sufficient, and He will always be our good Shepherd.
God bless!
Friday, 9 August 2013
WATCH
When Jesus said that we as Christians should ‘watch,’ he meant for one main purpose, and that is that our spiritual lives wouldn’t be broken down and corrupted by not keeping up an appropriate attention to those things that may threaten it. In the Old Testament, the nation of Israel would set watchmen on their walls in order to look out for physical threats, but these were only ever a concern if first, their spiritual lives had been conquered in some way. If their spiritual lives were fine, their physical defence was their God, but if they weren’t, they were open to attack. First and foremostly, looking out for our spiritual life and its health and defence are always the main concern we should have. Then not only are we protected by God spiritually speaking, but also in terms of the trials and judgments that our world faces from a just God- Rev 3v10: 'Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth.' Our danger, like Israel’s, is if we fall asleep to the will of God in our lives, just like the disciples did before the cross. The disciples had no idea that the judgment of God was about to be poured out on a Saviour that, if rejected by men, would mean that the rejecters would live in a perilous predicament (both the mercy and sword of the Lord would hang over them). The mercy of God meant that 99% of the disciples were shown grace in being able to turn from their sleep (return to Christ after the cross), but one man, by the name of Judas, found that his long-running sleep resulted in his own heart rejecting God, selling him out, and so destroyed his own safety both spiritually and physically. It was also prophesied however, and showed that it was a part of God's judgment on him too. If Judas had been better prepared, both in heart and in regards to the prophecy of the Messiah, who knows whether he could've saved himself? That same preparation God calls us to today, so that neither the future nor our own hearts will deceive and betray us in the future, or His judgment fall on us.
All the disciples thought they were fine before the trial of the cross, and it is very hard to find disciples today who believe they will find themselves in any spiritual predicament or danger in the future. The surprise and shock that the disciples received when their Saviour seemed to have failed both Himself and the world in being handed over to a brutal execution by the hands of wicked men, sent them running from the cross and from the threat of persecution and pain as fast as possible, and Peter even denied any association with Jesus. I have a saying I like to use that I think is often true of how weak we are as Christians, and that is that ‘we are only ever as spiritually strong as our greatest blessing.’ Take all our blessings away, and how strong are we? Take all the props that we use away, and where will we stand? Take away the physical evidence of God’s sovereignty and the immediate evidence of his affection, compassion and goodness, and replace it with what Jesus called an ‘hour of darkness’, where all of the evidence, not only of his goodness, but also of his presence and power is taken away, and what shall we do? Will we run away as fast as the disciples did? Or will we even deny and betray Him? By the grace of God we shall see any hour through, because His strength will cover our weakness, His grace our shortcoming and sin, and His mercy our faltering heart, but if we are not watching and building now, as we have been clearly directed and instructed to do, and as a Noah did in a time of peace, then how much harder and how much more severe shall the time to come be? And even more importantly, how much shall we lose in the way of the substance, effect and value of our spiritual lives? There is a spiritual fire of judgment to come when we die (in terms of what we’ll be rewarded by his grace), but also a fire that we are to go through now, to test what we really want, what we really value, and what sort of faith we have.
We are told to watch in terms of guarding our spiritual life, and watch in terms of world events, as those things which should be included in the category of things which we consider as possibly tempting us to turn away from Christ. We all have battles to face in our own lives, but a time of great trial is coming to the world in the future, which further underlines the importance of the watching we need to do.
All the disciples thought they were fine before the trial of the cross, and it is very hard to find disciples today who believe they will find themselves in any spiritual predicament or danger in the future. The surprise and shock that the disciples received when their Saviour seemed to have failed both Himself and the world in being handed over to a brutal execution by the hands of wicked men, sent them running from the cross and from the threat of persecution and pain as fast as possible, and Peter even denied any association with Jesus. I have a saying I like to use that I think is often true of how weak we are as Christians, and that is that ‘we are only ever as spiritually strong as our greatest blessing.’ Take all our blessings away, and how strong are we? Take all the props that we use away, and where will we stand? Take away the physical evidence of God’s sovereignty and the immediate evidence of his affection, compassion and goodness, and replace it with what Jesus called an ‘hour of darkness’, where all of the evidence, not only of his goodness, but also of his presence and power is taken away, and what shall we do? Will we run away as fast as the disciples did? Or will we even deny and betray Him? By the grace of God we shall see any hour through, because His strength will cover our weakness, His grace our shortcoming and sin, and His mercy our faltering heart, but if we are not watching and building now, as we have been clearly directed and instructed to do, and as a Noah did in a time of peace, then how much harder and how much more severe shall the time to come be? And even more importantly, how much shall we lose in the way of the substance, effect and value of our spiritual lives? There is a spiritual fire of judgment to come when we die (in terms of what we’ll be rewarded by his grace), but also a fire that we are to go through now, to test what we really want, what we really value, and what sort of faith we have.
We are told to watch in terms of guarding our spiritual life, and watch in terms of world events, as those things which should be included in the category of things which we consider as possibly tempting us to turn away from Christ. We all have battles to face in our own lives, but a time of great trial is coming to the world in the future, which further underlines the importance of the watching we need to do.
Monday, 5 August 2013
DREAM: AMERICA READIES ITSELF FOR POSSIBLE WAR
1 Cor 12v7: But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all...
Acts 2:17: And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams...
On the 20th of last month I had a dream. I dreamt I was in America and saw many missiles being loaded onto what I just knew was a military truck (one that tried to disguise itself as such). Some of the missiles were extremely large, and even the smaller ones still looked pretty formidable. I instinctively knew that these missiles were being taken to a US military base in readiness for what felt like a possible imminent war. It felt as though an enemy was threatening the US, and the US was taking it very seriously indeed, so seriously that they were arming themselves in readiness for what could take place. Another person came onto the scene and said something to the effect of even though war seemed imminent, that Christ never instructs man to go to war, but desires that men treat each other with love and kindness.
I think the interpretation of this dream is pretty straight forward. Although we 'know in part,' and 'see in part.' I don't pretend to know exactly what it means, but from my perspective, and definitely not a 'thus saith the Lord,' I think it means that it is very likely that the US will be on the BRINK of a POSSIBLE war/battle sometime in the future. The key words though I think are POSSIBLE WAR/BATTLE. It seems as though an enemy will threaten the US, and the US will take it very seriously indeed, so seriously that they will ready their armoury just in case they need to fight. I think it is also very POSSIBLE that the US may actually have to go to war with an adversary. There was an indication in the dream (something I haven't mentioned), that MAY speak about the US being successful in the battle/war (if they end up fighting/going to war), but that is only me interpreting something, and I could have got that wrong.
So why share this? One, the Lord gives dreams of the future for a reason, mainly, to strengthen and encourage our walk with Him in the present by warning, encouraging, instructing and directing. Jesus said to watch, and so we need to be obedient to watch for the signs of our times- Matt 16v2 He replied, "You know the saying, 'Red sky at night means fair weather tomorrow, 3 red sky in the morning means foul weather all day.' You are good at reading the weather signs in the sky, but you can't read the obvious signs of the times! When we watch, we show the Lord that we are being attentive to what He is doing in the earth, and then we can respond accordingly, in our lives and in our testimony for Him, and be most effective for Him in His service. If the disciples had never read the prophecy within the Old Testament, they would've never recognised the Saviour when He came, and if we never understand the prophecy of the Word, and the prophecy given by the Spirit, we'll never recognise His hand in world events, and not be able to guard our spiritual lives in the way we should. The Word says that the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy, so if we are interested in being a testimony for Him, we'll be interested in prophetic things. Such things are for our good, and were given for a purpose, He desires that we should benefit by them!
God bless!
Friday, 2 August 2013
'I WILL SHOW HIM' (Acts 9v16)
Acts 9v15: But the Lord said to Ananias, "Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for m name."
How strange a thing it must've been for Paul to experience one of the greatest conversions ever recorded in the Bible, only to have it followed up with one of the most brutal revelations of a man's future that God would ever give a man. Paul had been spectacularly saved with a voice and light from heaven just before this passage, and so soon after, he was about to receive an equally spectacular revelation of the sufferings that lay ahead for him. God was telling Ananias that He would show Paul just how much He would suffer for His name, both, it would seem, by prophecy and actual experience, and Paul accepted it as a soldier would accept his orders and carry them out without questioning them. Paul did not cower from such revelations, and we, as His people, must not cower either, especially when they are given in His Word, and in an extraordinary fashion.
God has been impressing this on my heart recently, that we, as the people of God, will enter a time of intense suffering. War will come to America, and Australia will be involved. Worldwide terrorism is coming, judgements are coming, asteroids will fall to earth, and the storm clouds of trouble are on the horizon. Most on Facebook probably already believe I'm mad for saying these things, or if not mad, don't want to have anything to do with what the Lord is saying, and that's clear enough by looking at the total numbers of people that read these posts now (max of 3 or 4 now). It's clear now why Paul was inspired by the Holy Spirit to write the words, 'Do not treat prophecies with contempt' (1 Thess 5v20). No one wants to hear these things, and to be completely honest, the fleshly side of me doesn't want to think about them either, and the natural man doesn't want troubles in the future, and is frightened by the prospect of such things. No one, in their natural state, desires to see trouble in the future, or likes to think of their future with such things, but God has revealed that they will happen, and so they will happen. Ignoring such revelations will only make things harder for us in future. 'Forewarned is forearmed' so they say, and God reveals such things, and will continue to reveal such things so that we will be able to gird up our minds, and prepare ourselves, just as Jesus wished for the disciples to prepare themselves for the reality of the cross that was to come.
However, we must take heart! God's care and his consolations are equal to the task of whatever is prepared for us to suffer - 2 Cor 1v5 'For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ.' The Holy Spirit as our comforter (John 14v26) will not forsake us, and will guide and take care of us as is necessary. If He could do it with Mary and Joseph at a time when all the world seemed to be against Christ and the plans of God, He can do it with us. If, while the storms of life seemed to threaten to destroy the life of Paul, God saved him with miraculous sovereignty, then no coming storm will shipwreck us while our God remains enthroned on high. Throughout it all, His purpose reigns, not only in sovereignty, but in the purpose that He has designed both for us, and to use us. God's purpose in using Paul never wavered (Acts 9v15), and it will never waver for us as well.
How strange a thing it must've been for Paul to experience one of the greatest conversions ever recorded in the Bible, only to have it followed up with one of the most brutal revelations of a man's future that God would ever give a man. Paul had been spectacularly saved with a voice and light from heaven just before this passage, and so soon after, he was about to receive an equally spectacular revelation of the sufferings that lay ahead for him. God was telling Ananias that He would show Paul just how much He would suffer for His name, both, it would seem, by prophecy and actual experience, and Paul accepted it as a soldier would accept his orders and carry them out without questioning them. Paul did not cower from such revelations, and we, as His people, must not cower either, especially when they are given in His Word, and in an extraordinary fashion.
God has been impressing this on my heart recently, that we, as the people of God, will enter a time of intense suffering. War will come to America, and Australia will be involved. Worldwide terrorism is coming, judgements are coming, asteroids will fall to earth, and the storm clouds of trouble are on the horizon. Most on Facebook probably already believe I'm mad for saying these things, or if not mad, don't want to have anything to do with what the Lord is saying, and that's clear enough by looking at the total numbers of people that read these posts now (max of 3 or 4 now). It's clear now why Paul was inspired by the Holy Spirit to write the words, 'Do not treat prophecies with contempt' (1 Thess 5v20). No one wants to hear these things, and to be completely honest, the fleshly side of me doesn't want to think about them either, and the natural man doesn't want troubles in the future, and is frightened by the prospect of such things. No one, in their natural state, desires to see trouble in the future, or likes to think of their future with such things, but God has revealed that they will happen, and so they will happen. Ignoring such revelations will only make things harder for us in future. 'Forewarned is forearmed' so they say, and God reveals such things, and will continue to reveal such things so that we will be able to gird up our minds, and prepare ourselves, just as Jesus wished for the disciples to prepare themselves for the reality of the cross that was to come.
However, we must take heart! God's care and his consolations are equal to the task of whatever is prepared for us to suffer - 2 Cor 1v5 'For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ.' The Holy Spirit as our comforter (John 14v26) will not forsake us, and will guide and take care of us as is necessary. If He could do it with Mary and Joseph at a time when all the world seemed to be against Christ and the plans of God, He can do it with us. If, while the storms of life seemed to threaten to destroy the life of Paul, God saved him with miraculous sovereignty, then no coming storm will shipwreck us while our God remains enthroned on high. Throughout it all, His purpose reigns, not only in sovereignty, but in the purpose that He has designed both for us, and to use us. God's purpose in using Paul never wavered (Acts 9v15), and it will never waver for us as well.
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