Hi all,
Being
the first of a new year interest in what God is saying about 2015 is at
the top of everyone's minds. The Internet is abuzz with 'words from
God' about everything from mystery planet Nibiru grazing the earth to
California falling into the ocean, to Israel going to war, to the US
economy crashing, and so much more.
How
is a Christian supposed to know what is real, what is marketing, what
is the flesh, and finally, what God is really saying to His people?
Before I answer that last question about what He is really saying, some
ground rules to know His ways:
First thing: I AM
This
is a lesson for anyone who has ever had the Lord show them something
future for their lives or others, and many lives have been ruined and
hard lessons learned because they didn't under this principle. The Lord
is the I AM, meaning He is ever present.
Therefore
when He reveals something to your spirit about anything, or someone
gives you a prophetic word, or you sense something future for another
person, it feels like NOW. That is only because HE is NOW, the I AM, the
ever-present One. But it doesn't mean you are to do that thing now,
throwing away common sense and planning.
In
Acts 26:13-18 Paul is telling his testimony to King Agrippa and quotes
what the Lord told him the day He appeared to him outside Damascus:
"...I have appeared to you for this purpose...and you will be a witness
of things you have seen and things about which I will appear to you
later...and to deliver you from the people and from the Gentiles, unto whom I now send you..."
But it was at least 10 years before he went to the Gentiles
He
spent 3 years in Arabia receiving revelation, and THEN went to see
Peter. Luke compresses Acts 9 for the sake of his readers, but Paul
tells us 3 years passed before he met Peter and the apostles. And it was
about 7 more years after that before he started ministering to the
Gentiles. (Galatians 1:13-18, Acts 9:22-28, 13:46-48; Acts 9 was about
35AD, Acts 13:46 about 45AD)
I
know of someone who went to Hong Kong because God had told her He was
calling her there, and against everyone's counsel she went with no
money, no financial support, and ended up calling the church begging for
a plane ticket home 2 months later.
Was
she called? Perhaps, but she should have let it develop with the
understanding that it was the I AM who told her that, the ever present
One. But He didn't mean she had to go right then, He didn't expect nor
want her to throw away common sense. It was her responsibility to
provide support for herself, and He would have helped her, but she was
presumptuous and acted immediately and suffered as a result.
We
don't try to make things come to pass, we don't try to help God because
we think we've figured out how it will happen, we are to use common
sense and allow Him to guide our steps.
I've
known people to quit good paying jobs because God spoke to them He had
another position for them that would be a promotion, or He said they
were called to ministry - and it felt like NOW - so they quit their job
and languished in confusion and financial distress wondering what God
was doing to them - THEY were 100% at fault because they
over-spiritualized what He said to the point they laid down common
sense.
So
when someone has a prophecy for you, or they say it is for the world or
nation, understand it feels like RIGHT NOW, immediate, imminent.
Remember, to the Lord 'soon' is often years or decades to us. In the OT
He was warning Israel of their destruction 150 years before it actually
happened, but it felt like 'now'.
Second thing: Prophecy is linear
What
I mean is that in Ephesians 3:3-6 Paul talks about how the mystery that
was kept secret from the foundations of the world but is now revealed
to the apostles and prophets, that Gentiles would be fellow-heirs of the
covenant. Can you imagine? Paul says Gentiles getting saved was a
mystery not revealed until Pentecost!
This
mystery is mentioned several times, Romans 16:25-26, Colossians 1:26-27
among them. One of my favorite verses, "Christ in you, the hope of
glory" is in context talking about Gentiles having Christ in them, which
Paul says, is a revelation of the mystery once kept secret from ages
and generations.
That
means all prophecy in the Old Testament appears to go in a straight
line with nothing about the church in between - it is linear. For
instance, Ezekiel 36 and 37 prophesy Israel becoming a nation again,
then chapters 38 & 39 tell of a world war with Israel and allies
fighting against the future nation Russia and allies, and then
immediately into chapter 40 seeing the Millennial Temple and Messiah
ruling the earth.
Somewhere
in there is about 2,000 years of Gentiles getting saved, but
Ezekiel hadn't had that revealed to him, so what the Lord tells him is
in a straight line with no clue about events in between verses,
sometimes whole centuries between verses.
Another example
Jesus'
first message is in Luke 4:18-23. He quoted Isaiah 61:1-2 stopping
mid-sentence: "...and to preach the acceptable year of the Lord." and He
sat down and said "...this day this passage is fulfilled."
But if you read Isaiah 61:1-2 you find He stopped mid-sentence: "...to preach the acceptable year of the Lord and the day of vengeance of our God, and to comfort those who mourn (after the day of vengeance)." Why
did Jesus stop mid-sentence to say He was fulfilling the acceptable
year of the Lord, but did not finish the rest of the sentence about the
day of vengeance of our God?
He
stopped because He could not reveal that in between the acceptable year
of the Lord and the day of vengeance of our God, was a 2,000 year
period inserted for the Gentiles to become part of the covenant. It was
still a mystery kept in the Father's own knowledge until Pentecost.
So
for that reason Jesus stopped mid-sentence. Now think - for centuries
pious Jews had debated Isaiah 61:1-2 about this single day, the day of
the acceptable year of the Lord and the day of vengeance of our God.
Teachings were made, 'revelation' about that verse circulated - and it
was all done with a degree of error because the Father had not revealed a
2,000 year gap mid-sentence. They drew conclusions based on partial
information. Hold that thought...
Let me tie it all together thus far...
In
the same way the Father kept secret from mankind that He would open up
His covenant with Israel to all nations, to whomever will respond in
faith, so too has He kept within His knowledge the time of the Rapture
and the 2nd coming of Christ - Jesus told us plainly no man knows the
hour nor day, not the angels, not even Him, but the Father only. And
while the Rapture is foretold in the Feast of Trumpets, the 5th festival
of Israel and first of the fall festivals, it doesn't say when that
event will happen. (Matthew 24:36, Acts 1:7)
That
means prophecy we hear about in our day about the end times is also
linear - He skips right over the rapture and 2nd coming because it is
not revealed to mankind the timing of these events.
As
a result, many teachers find themselves today, like the Rabbi's of long
ago debating Isaiah 61 - they draw conclusions and get people all
worked up about things kept secret within the Father's knowledge, not
having a clue there are gaps in prophecy because the Father is keeping
those things to Himself. Teachers who draw conclusions about the timing
of such things are equal in error to the Rabbi's from Isaiah to Jesus,
because they too have partial information and should not be drawing
conclusions nor making assumptions.
Stay
away from end times preachers who draw conclusions as to timing,
because they do so based on partial information. Remember, to the I AM,
all things are imminent. But the unwise in the ways of the Father jump
to conclusions that cause worry, fear, and confusion. James says
confusion is man's/world's wisdom, God's wisdom is pure and peaceful.
Stay with peace.
So
California might fall into the ocean. And maybe Yellowstone National
Park may explode and wipe out most of the US, and maybe St. Louis and
Memphis will have a massive earthquake, but prophecy is linear - that
could happen in the Tribulation, it could happen at the 2nd coming. It
could happen at the end of the Millennial age when the earth is remade
by fire - we just don't know.
Whether
the Lord tells you something for your own life, or for the life of
another, or a prophetic word or dream for your nation, realize even a
revelation of horrible events if given by Him, is wrapped in peace. And
it may feel like NOW, but realize He is I AM so that is normal. Use
wisdom, stay in peace, and more next week...until then, blessings!
John Fenn
www.cwowi.org and email me at cwowi@aol.com
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