The Heat Is On
The current state of affairs on the world scene are disturbing. Governments are unstable, strong leaders are scarce and if a leader is strong, they are usually not leading the country in a direction that is healthy.
More and more the conditions are becoming ripe for a strong leader to arise on the world scene and present an appearance of having answers that will answer the increasing instability in the world.
Although it is clear from scripture that this type of man will arise, few Christians expected the conditions to come in their lifetime. As we observe the increasing tensions what should be the Christian's posture.
Many have been taught that the Church will not be here during the events that are describe in scripture as surrounding the rise and propagation of One World Government. As it seems to be be becoming a greater possibility in our lifetime, how should we then live.
In the above illustration the caption on the original picture was "The 4th Man In The Fire". There is a principle of God illustrated by both the caption and the illustration.
God does not always deliver his people from difficulties, but he does always walk with them in the heat of the problem.
This principle is illustrated over and over in scripture. We have not the time to illustrate with Noah, Lot, Joseph, David, Jeremiah, Daniel and our current illustration, the Three Hebrew Children. Bringing that down to the Christians of today we have those who are currently be tortured for their faith as well as the multiple historic accounts of hundreds of thousands who have given their lives for Jesus.
How do we judge what is happening today? Is it possible to know what is about the hit the world stage and what things are part of the enemies design, and what things are part of God's response to the enemies plans.
I believe it is possible and in the blogs to come am going to begin to lay out principles that I believe govern the conduct of God for, in and through His Church in the days to come. We are approaching the greatest days this world and the church has ever known. As best I can, I want to share with you some of my perceptions of what is about to come and God's triumphant expression through His people.
Stay Tuned!!
Here we are facing another new year. As I write this Christmas day is almost over. God has been good to us this year, although it has not been without battle.
As we approach this new year, there has been a real cry for change. We will be seeing much change both in the country and in the world. I am not sure how long the honeymoon with Mr Obama will last, but I am sure there will be one. He has made many declarations and only time will tell whether he will be able to make good on any of them.
The Church too will see change, but they may not like the form it takes. Men of spiritual stature are going to go home to glory this year. With them will pass an era of the dealings of God in which we have seen the mercy of God poured out upon the nation. I believe this next year will see the Church losing some of her freedoms and an increase in the cry to God for His help.
Persecution, whether light or heavy has always been a sifter of motives, attitudes and commitment. This will begin in earnest this year. It may not take the form some expect.
- Let me share with you briefly, and outline of the next few years that I see. I believe that there will come a false peace or a lull before the storm. Daniel gives us a principle: False peace destroys many. It may even seem, for a while to get better, but, be warned, and on guard.
- Matthew 24 tells us that because iniquity shall abound, the love of many will wax cold. Instead of praying for the antidote for iniquity, abounding grace (Where sin does abound, Grace does much more abound), they will let their love for the grow cold, thinking that He is not working on the Church's behalf. These will be days when the individual and corporate commitments are tested. The test will be on us, who love the Lord.
- Even some Penticostal, Charismatic, and "endtime" churches will go this way. They may have all the gifts in operation, but, the love that is the true motivation will be lacking therefore they will become Laodecian in nature.
As we think on these things, it is important to remember that God will allow all these things to happen to test us to see if our base of relationship with Him is religious or truly relational.
Think on these things.
Dr. Bill
Because
It has been about 6 weeks since my last blog. Time really has been flying.
There are a number of things I have been pondering, as the Lord has been speaking to me over the time. Some of them I have not had time to dig into.
One of the things that has troubled me for a number of years is the concept that is out there of "how to do church". Even the most recent of the "moves of God" has settled into a type of Pentecostal/Charismatic/End-time liturgy.
In researching this the Lord lead me back to the Quakers of the 17th century. One of the perspectives that He caused me to see Church History from is that of what He was restoring to His Church in each move. When I talked to Him about it, I heard Him say that the Quaker movement was Him restoring the functioning of the Body back to each member.
With each move there has been a restoration of something fresh and new, that would be a component of the final mature Body of Christ. One of the problems in history has always been that we, as the Church, have slipped into the human thinking that what God revealed to our movement, was the final revelation and so we have settled down to propagate the "new thing" that we feel is the final revelation.
Here is an axiom that I believe will keep us from that:
If the Holy Spirit is still dealing in our midst, then we have not come to the fullness of what God wants for our group or fellowship!!
With the Quakers they would come together and wait on the Lord in silence until the Spirit moved someone to speak, sing, or do some action motivated by Him. One of the things we were not told in our history classes, not even our Church History classes was that the Presence of the Lord was the center of that focus. It was not silence or waiting alone. The silence was so that men and women would quiet themselves from the business of the week and focus on the Presence of Jesus. This would cause the Lord to come. After all, in Isaiah He said, they that wait for me shall never be ashamed. Their waiting for Him cause Him to come and manifest in their midst. To the outside people they could only see the reaction of the flesh to the manifest Presence of Jesus, the quaking under the awesome power. Hence they became known as the Quakers.
In reading some of their own historical account I was struck by the statements that chronicled what happened as they waited. They said that as they waited, and some responded in obedience to the Holy Spirit's prompting to share, whether in word or song or some other way, the Presence of Jesus deepened in their midst.
One of the things the Quaker movement restored was the Manifest Presence of Jesus. One of the articles I read, by a Quaker historian of the time said that after 50 years, the Presence began to dissipate, as people began to focus on things other than the coming of His Presence.
The Church today would do well to at least incorporate some time for "waiting on God". This is not just being silent, but an expectant waiting focused on Jesus that expects Him to come by His Holy Spirit and walk once more among His Church.
In Revelation, we find Him walking among the lampstands. I would like to suggest to you that this is His Manifest Presence walking among us. He desires to do this. As He does this He examines the strength of our light. In response to this, He reveals to us what we have done right, and what needs improvement. This is not done in a judgmental way, as has often been presented to us, but in a loving way, calling us back to the centering on His Presence and His Person. He also gives to us, the message of love that will enable us to make it to our destiny both as an individual and a corporate Body of people.
Lord help us to focus in on His Presence and wait until He comes. One more scripture from Hebrews. Unto those that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation. Heb. 9:28 I would like to suggest that it was this that God was calling the Quakers attention to in those days. This appearing is that of His Presence and it will do a work within, if allowed, that will cleanse the heart of men and women. It will also produce, in a corporate people, the same effect. John said that when we shall see Him we shall be like Him jfor we see Him as He is. Waiting in His presence, consistently, will bring for a people who will see Him in everything. Although this was the Quaker philosophy, even the waiting became a liturgy, and a form, hence, the diminishing of the Presence by the time 50 years had passed. OH LORD, TEACH US TO WAIT ON YOU.
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Tying in with the above, I find that God has also been speaking to me concerning the greatness of His ability. This goes beyond the performance of signs, wonders, and miracles. It is His ability to move through and speak through all the forms of worship, liturgies, and modes of worship used today. He is getting ready to speak to all His Church, in whatever form they "worship" in.
I have been exercised as He has dealt with me that He needs men and women who can flow into every type of expression of worship to Him that there is and speak into it "the Word of the Lord", in terms that the particular expression of the Body of Christ can receive. This is a challenging Word, to one who has come through so many of the expressions looking for Him.
The challenge can be illustrated from the natural body like this. The blood which has the 5 white corpuscles in it,(analogous to the 5 ministry gifts) flows through every structure in the natural body. These 5 white corpuscles carry the protective antibodies that fight infection to the farthest reaches of the body. They do not change the nature of how that organ or cell functions, they only keep them pure so they can function.
The 5 ministry gifts in the Body of Christ should do the same job spiritually. There needs to come a revelation to those men and women in whom God has invested these expressions of grace(the 5 ministry gifts) that God has not called us to change the Body member through which we are flowing, be it an individual we are ministering to, or a corporate local assembly. He has called us to minister to them in such a way that after we are gone, they more clearly and cleanly relate to the Head and are able to receive feeding, and instruction to function with less interference. We, as the ministry, carry away with us, anything that may have inhibited their flow and function before we got there.
OH LORD, HELP ME FUNCTION IN SUCH A WAY, THAT AFTER I HAVE BEEN TO A LOCAL CORPORATE GATHERING, THEY KNOW MORE CLEARLY THEIR FUNCTION AND PLACE AND SOME OF THAT WHICH HAS HINDERED THEM IN FLOWING AND FUNCTIONING, I CARRY AWAY WITH ME.
Could this be part of that which Paul saw when he talked of making up that which was lacking of the sufferings of Christ? After he had ministered to a Church, did he carry away with him, some of that which had been inhibiting their walk and relationship, as a corporate assembly?
Selah!!
