A little over two years ago my life was rocked by a message from God. There were no audible voices, angels or even a vision... just a text, Exodus 3:7, and a "sense" - "sense" is the only way I can explain what I experienced, "voice" might fit better however - from Him.
Let me back up a bit to explain the text. Sitting in church on a Sunday morning listening to my pastor's sermon, God began to stir my spirit to study after Moses. So, in my mind I thought, "Okay, I'll do that." But, later after the service I didn't give it much more of a thought. A week or more later, on a usual Wednesday night REVOLVE! service we had two visitors. A guy I knew and his friend, "Bishop Sean". The name alone set my critical mind into an uneasy mode, then at their declaration, "We've come to view your service," my sensibility was set even further off. I told them to sit in and listen; honestly I didn't know what else to do, but I expected that after the service they would have something to say to me about how I'm not measuring up or how I'm not following God or some other dig at me as a minister. As expected, after service I received word that "Bishop Sean" wanted to "speak" with me. I thought, "Here we go...". But, what happened next was weird. He was very nice - I guess I shouldn't judge so hastily - and told me that while he had been praying that day, he felt he was supposed to come and hang out with us that night. Then, he said that while I was speaking he felt as though God wanted him to tell me to begin "studying after Moses." When he said that my heart sank. I hadn't told anyone about what I felt during that previous week's Sunday morning service. At the time, I just thought it was something I had thought and there wasn't any sense of urgency in me about doing it. I didn't hear anything else "Bishop Sean" said after that.
I would like to say that I went straight to my Bible and began studying. You think that would have been enough instruction. But as it would be, I didn't and then again God - for a third time! - stirred my heart this way again, but this time there was a severity from Him and a question, "How many times am I going to have to speak to you until you do this, or I pass you over?" That was it. I began in Exodus.
Then came this text, Exodus 3:7. I was in my office at work and while reading in Exodus 3, God began to speak to me specifically from verse 7 about a coming calamity to America. In an instant of reading this text, God gave me a deep profound sense that His people had forgotten Him and were no longer crying out to Him. He gave me this sense that He was at work to bring our nation to a place where everything would change. A complete collapse. And, that once again His people would "cry" out to Him since we have forgotten Him. The sense was an economic collapse was coming. A collapse that would cause the first depression to pale in comparison. It would be total and utter. Mind you this was received while our economy was booming and unemployment was at an all time record low. There was nothing at the time of receiving this "sense" from God that would suggest to me this was even possible. I honestly felt stupid in writing what I had written about what God was speaking to my spirit. I thought it impossible at the time and actually later went back to throw the writing in the garbage and hope no one would ever know that I had written something so ludicrous. But, the Spirit of God just quieted my spirit and said, "Hold on to it for a while." So, I did.
A heaviness came over me as I finished writing the prophecy, for lack of a better term, and the thought everything is going to change weighed so heavy on my mind that I lose words to explain how I was glued in placed - metaphorically speaking - at the weight of the message I had just received. Many times since then have I have fought what I received wishing things to be better or for me to be completely wrong. But, His word keeps being renewed to me. Even this morning, which I'll write about later.
This is the introduction to some things I'll be posting in the coming weeks. The label "Prophetik" at the bottom of this post will be used to organize these posts together so they can be easily accessed. Everything is changing and the time of warning is now upon us. I pray you read these posts and prayerfully prepare yourself for what God is working even now. The coming calamities are for several purposes, first - to judge as only God can, and second - to save His people.
I will detail a dream I later received of the complete destruction of a US city as well as how God has revealed how His people will survive this time of calamity and judgment. A song from His saints will arise... from the ashes joy and dependence in Him alone will sustain His people. As Moses sang when the Ark of the Covenant was marched through the wilderness and the visible cloud of His presence lead the people through the desert, "Let God arise and His enemies be scattered!"
I wrestle with understanding God's prophecies. I understand that prophecy is important and that we should probably experience it more, especially in our day. Seems like many of the prophets of old always had a " doom and gloom" message from God. One most likely hated seeing them coming because they knew it was just bad news. And yet I understand that in the bad news there was a silver lining. The bottom line was that God was trying to redeem His people.
ReplyDeleteMaybe the spirit of the prophet never changed... or should it have changed with the onset of the grace dispensation? This is just a question I have. Are we a mankind that is so hard of the heart that the only message we can hear is that of doom and catastrophe? Does the prophet's message carry a message of grace also or are people now callous to the grace message and God is speaking more plainly? I really don't know. I feel that most people are insensitive to any message that comes from God. And maybe the real message to those people is not the words of warning (perhaps that is just for those that will hear) but the events to follow.
Still one question remains... is the message of the gospel enough? Maybe we do need more. Maybe out of God's mercy we need to hear a more blunt message; a message that see the other side of God's persona. God is a God of grace/mercy and yet is a God of judgement. God is disgusted with sin and the rebellion of the human race. To talk only of God's love is somewhat unbalanced because there are eternal consequences. Perhaps the church has dropped the ball and forgotten that part of the story. Maybe we have been sold the "happy ending" mentality and formed our gospel around that.
I also realize that God spoke to people to warn them and to prepare them. I don't know if fear was the point or repentance... or both... or if some people only response to "worse case scenarios." "God has not given us the spirit of fear..." are God's words to us. "Fear not..." were the words of Jesus. So, it seems that those who are right with God have no reason to fear. This raises the question of reacting out of fear. Do we stockpile out of fear. Do we prepare out of fear? Or is God giving us plans for preparation? If we prepare for 30 days... what happens on day 31? Are we trusting ourselves for the first 30 days? I am asking... but don't really have an answer. Perhaps part of the plan is to reveal to us that we are fearful and to expose our lack of faith. God certainly used the old testament prophets to bring messages that basically said, "prepare yourselves..."
I have no reason to doubt that God must awaken our nation. I have no reason to doubt that God may choose unpleasant ways to do so. I have no reason to doubt that God will always keep a covering on His elect and that we should not fear. Most of us dread any kind of catastrophe but want to see our nation come to God. We hate to stand over a small casket but rejoice when people respond to gospel message because of it. And I have to wonder if this is God's response to a church who is (as Keith Greene put it) "asleep in the light." We bathe in our tubs of grace but won't expend an ounce of energy to take one teaspoon out and carry it to our neighbor. Perhaps God is about shaking the church as well as bringing a nation to their knees. The Lord's will be done.
I know that the message you posted touch me and also brought many questions to which I have no answers. I do feel that the spirit is broadcasting a message to us. I am trying to tune in... perhaps I have driven too far away from the tower. Lord, help me.
@Tal... Grace is enough. Coupled in the grace message is repentance, a turning from sin. This hasn't been done. Grace alone from Christ is what we need, however in preaching that message we've become too concerned with not only attracting the crowd, but keeping it as well. That's where things get hairy. In an attempt to "keep" or to "grow" ministers get more concerned about what they say that might offend people and mess with their lives. So, there fosters a tendency to deliver grace, comment on turning from sin as a small side bar then schedule the community fair, softball game what have you to "keep" an ADD crowd who are easily distracted and pulled down the street to the church with a bigger, flashier community fair and softball game. We preach then an accommodating gospel. People keep their pet sins in the church and the world is only confronted by a church more concerned with a political agenda than a Holy God.
ReplyDeleteIs stock piling food a result of fear and what happens on day 31? The point, as I have received from God in a small view only, is to get a people to depend on Him again and turn to Him and to foster true community that is now lost. When this goes down - however it does - will cause the unknowing godly and ungodly alike to panic and chaos will ensue. God is getting His people to prepare so that they won't get caught in the midst of the panic and chaos. No one accuses us of responding in fear if when we go to the grocery we buy a week's worth of groceries. We are just preparing for the coming week. No fear is involved. Preparing 30 days of food is not going to solve any long term problems. It will just act as a buffer to keep us out of the streets where chaos will ensue. Think about the looting and rioting that went on after Katrina. Wouldn't it have been scary to have to make a trip to the store for essentials? We saw policemen themselves participating in the looting. We live in a much different world than what our grandparents did of the Great Depression. Do you see people standing calmly by in a bread line when that's what we are reduced to?
Great comment and questions. Our hope comes from the Lord. He meets our needs. He is preparing us for that which is coming. Thanks!
Hi Jeremy
ReplyDeleteIt's Jackie again. So, did you ever 'study after Moses'? If so, do you plan on posting what you learned or gleaned from your studies?
Hey, Jackie again! :)
ReplyDeleteI did actually, and I learned a lot from that study. I've written some stuff that I have for personal use, but nothing further that I plan to publish at the moment. The main thing was to get the writing "Where's the Cry of My People" or however it's titled. This was an awakening moment of sorts for me, and in the future could be something that would be useful for whatever God has planned for us.
Thank you again for your comments!