The Age To Come

What has been desert will become fruitful land, and what has been fruitful land will become desert (Ps107 v33-35). How often it is that the Lord turns the established order on its head – perhaps to afflict the comfortable, and comfort the afflicted, both of which is to our good, and His glory.

From here.

How much do we desire the Living Water of Life? And how often do we find ourselves at the broken cisterns, drinking in the illusions, pretence lending a form to the madness?

How much of the Church’s history have we lived in a desert, grasping at withered husks, once alive but now long dead, deluding ourselves that we see life, that we are actually in an abundant and verdant land, flowing with milk and honey?

The Church’s history sometimes seems like an arid desert. On occasion it is drenched by the grace of God, leading to an abundant flowering, as the whole desert blooms into life. But then we trust to that beauty and no longer look to the source. So, in time, the beauty withers, and what once was verdant, becomes parched desert again. And we again delude ourselves that the withered husks that once contained life, still do.

All through the ages, I see oases in the midst of this, places where the beauty of God can be seen amidst the arid barrenness. And those that cling to the husks, they hate these places, they rail against them, they close their eyes and blaspheme against them – for the Life that is contained within reveals to them their poverty – showing the illusion for what it is – a sham and a mockery of the kingdom.

Yet, just like the desert, there are still seeds of faith sown within the arid land, faithful deposits left by those now long gone. Would that we might pray for, desire, beseech and seek the rain of Grace – to water what has long been desert, and see those seeds grow once again. What beauty there would be!

One day, one final day, there will flow a River, the River that makes glad the City of God. Then the desert, the desert that so many of us dwell in, will become forever verdant and fruitful. We will at last enter in to the fullness of life that He Himself has ordained for us – ordained before the founding of the world.

Apologies for the haitus, but the previous post is really the core of the message. Will anybody hear it, until it is too late? I do not know, but I will proclaim. Do you feel that the hour is late? Can you feel the storm clouds gathering? The economy, the social, the political; it is said the whole world will worship the beast and receive his mark. The world turns away in apostasy; what was unthinkable a generation ago is celebrated today. And we imagine that our comfortable existence will remain, when ALL that will be left is a hideous strength.

The axe is at the foot of the tree.
Matthew 3 v10-12
(John the Baptist speaking to the Pharisees and Sadducees)
The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. “I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

There will be storms. There will also be grace. Please read this word from 2006 – ‘Such a time as this’.

The signs are there – we have seen the storms that are coming and they will rattle us out of our false security. There is, as ever, only one resting place and that is Jesus. We are given, by the grace of the Lord, time in which to prepare. Or time to pretend that everything will stay the same.

The storms to come will bring both adversity and revival, persecution and blessing. When our false securities are stripped away, so we will have to lean on our real Security. Or dance away to other false gods. Indeed, the very storm that will appear a curse will produce the greatest blessing – when we have eyes to see it.

So be of good heart. The devil does not have the final say. He lost – and lost a long, long time ago. All the smoke and mirrors, all the thunder and lightening, all the fierce roaring and raging are no more than the death throes of a wounded beast.

Even when the storm rages around you, when you are beset all around and the devil seems to hold all the cards from an unassailable position, remember it is simply a lie. He is a usurper apeing God. He has lost, and he knows it. His time is short, and getting shorter.

God has already procured the victory. The gates of hell will never prevail against the Church, His elect. Yes, the storm may rage, but press into Jesus and there you will find the victory, the victory that was won before the ages ever began.

Christ alone! Christ alone in the Mercy judgement to come. Only He will be unshaken, only He can offer a place of refuge. The world will fail – He will remain. Therefore friends, purchase the Salt now while you can, that you might “have salt in yourselves, and peace with each other” (Mark 9 v50b).

The Mercy Judgment
(adapted from the original)

1 The word of the LORD came to me: 2 “Son of man, speak to your countrymen and say to them: ‘When I bring the sword against a land, and the people of the land choose one of their men and make him their watchman, 3 and he sees the sword coming against the land and blows the trumpet to warn the people, 4 then if anyone hears the trumpet but does not take warning and the sword comes and takes his life, his blood will be on his own head. 5 Since he heard the sound of the trumpet but did not take warning, his blood will be on his own head. If he had taken warning, he would have saved himself. 6 But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people and the sword comes and takes the life of one of them, that man will be taken away because of his sin, but I will hold the watchman accountable for his blood.’

The Lord spoke into my heart; these were the words given:

It is the twilight of the current age, and we bask in its fading gleams. Much that can be shaken, soon will be.

With apologies to those who are not Tolkien fans, this is what informed my hearts response:

“I wish it need not have happened in my time,” said Frodo. “So do I, said Gandalf, and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”

So, what is to happen, and what are we to do with the time that is given us? Probably the best explanation would be from another word:

A storm is coming
This is a word I must bring to you, a word for 2007. Indeed, this is something I have alluded to a number of times before, but the hour grows short, and the word more urgent.

Many will come to Him, if His Church is ready. That is what He is calling us to now. Be ready. Purchase oil that your lamps will not run out. See, the bridegroom is at the threshold even now! Therefore, put away your toys, your vanities, and gird yourself for the times to come. Then your light will indeed shine. Hear the Spirit of the Lord, He is crying amongst the churches! Wake up, wake up! A new day is dawning and you must be ready.

So, to what kind of storm am I referring? Well, that is something that is not yet revealed (though perhaps it is clearer, now). Perhaps we might see terrorist acts? An economic crash? Times of war? Earthquakes, or floods? Persecution within the Church? Or perhaps something else entirely? I do not know the details of what is to come.

Are we speaking of the second coming of Christ? In this context, no. Of course, you cannot unbind events from each other, but this is not to what I am referring.

Is it possible at this time we see some foreshocks of coming judgment? It is hard to say, but it is certainly necessary to be sober, alert and aware of the times. One might ask why God should not judge nations that appear to be moving far from Him and descending into wickedness?

Also, one might look at the current turbulent economy and wonder whether there is judgment there? Or perhaps consequence would be a better word – the consequence of greed and living beyond our means?

Simply put, we do not know exactly what this storm will look like, or when it will occur. The reason this word is being given now is because of an increasing sense of urgency. How urgency translates to timing is less clear, especially as we serve a God for whom a day is a thousand years and a thousand years is a day. In His economy, timing and even the judgment itself is fluid – what concerns Him is our response. The only words I might be able to give you are ‘near’, ‘soon’, and ‘at the threshold’.

I’ve taken to calling this approaching storm the Mercy Judgment, in that what is Judgment will also be Mercy. What do I mean by this? Well, understand that what will be a difficult and chaotic time, a time where there will be suffering, will also have a redemptive and cathartic quality. Many things that are currently idols for us will no longer be idols – perhaps partly because they will no longer be present, partly because we will be able to see more clearly what is genuinely important. And if we have eyes to see and trust in our heavenly Father, we may be able to bring others currently enmeshed in the kingdom of this world, into the Kingdom of the world that is to come.

It should also be said that we do not see this to be cataclysmic destruction, but more of a severe judgment or judgments to chastise, simplify and ultimately purify. A genuine judgment, but one that will be ultimately to our mercy. Indeed, if God really wanted to destroy us, He would just leave us just as we are. We are doing, as a society, a pretty good job at self-destruction anyway. So, by His mercy He will not leave us just as we are. And through judgment and following persecution, we will get to bring the harvest home.

The Response of the Church

So, the question that we need to ask in light of coming judgment is this: “what then do we do?”. If these things really are coming, how do we respond? How then shall we live?

Firstly – do not be afraid.
Fear is the weapon of our enemy, and nothing that that is written here is intended to cause fear. As it says in 1 John 4 v17-19:

17In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. 18There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. 19We love because he first loved us.

Indeed, as Romans 8 v14-16 also says:

14those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” 16The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.

So, I repeat again – Do not be afraid. If you are found in Christ, the source of your salvation, then you cannot be shaken, because He cannot be shaken. Indeed, in the times to come Jesus Christ will be the only secure place that can be found.

So, we are being shown these things ahead of time not to cast a shadow of fear, but to forewarn and allow us to prepare.

Secondly, are you entangled in the world?

Drugs?
Drink?
Pornography?
Gambling?
Greed?
Sloth?
Adultery?
Fornication?

These things are quicksand to your soul. Divest of them, while you still have time.

Many live for transitory gains, gambling in the stock market, finding security in shares, or setting up RRSPs and GICs to provide for themselves a security apart from God. Granted, these things are not evil in and of themselves – but what we do with them often is. Always, the question is asked, where is your heart? Could you also be a rich fool – desiring to give God everything but the idol you worship? God had some things to say about riches – listen to this from Luke 16 v13:

13No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.

Who or what do you love more than Christ? Listen to Luke 14 v25-27:

25Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 26″If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple. 27And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

Hard words, do you think? We need to understand what they mean.

Do we love our brothers and sisters more than Christ? Then we are not worthy of Him.
Do we love our wives or husbands more than Christ? Then we are not worthy of Him.
Do we love our children more than Christ? Then we are not worthy of Him.

Your family is not your salvation. Only Christ is. If He is not Lord of your life: your whole life – then He is no Lord to you at all. Is it difficult to hear this? Yes, but better the pain now than pain later.

Only when our whole life is under His Lordship, only then will we have both feet upon the Rock. And – I tell you the truth – the only place that will be secure in the coming days is to have both feet on the Rock of Jesus Christ. As the Psalmist said:

40:2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and the mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.

Everything else but Christ will fade, all else will fall into ruin. And the secrets of all hearts will be laid bare.

Please consider this word given in January 2005.

What is hidden will be revealed
I saw the Holy Spirit, brooding over the earth and the seas covering it. I perceived His plans for us. I saw Him dry up all the seas, and as this was done, what was hidden under the seas was revealed – mountains, valleys, plains and trenches.

What will this mean, and how extensive will it be? I do not know. Only that a time of natural adversity with supernatural blessing will occur, with the intent of revealing what has been hidden under the Seas of Plenty for many years. Both the best and the worst will be laid bare for all to see.

Thirdly, we are called – both now and in the days ahead – to be a lighthouse

– bringing light to an increasingly dark world. What is it that a lighthouse does? It warns of dangerous waters. It guides to safe harbours. It provides a community, a haven, a hope in the tumultuous seas of our world.

As I saw this this lighthouse; it was as if the light rays were shining out into the darkness. Then, it was as if I was inside the lighthouse itself, another layer being unveiled to the vision. The light source was at the centre of the lighthouse, I became aware of who this Light represented – Jesus Himself. Perhaps that is a little obvious, but I saw it deeper that I had before.

We, as the church, are represented by the panes of glass that make up the lighthouse reflectors. When we are dirty and grubby, the light does not shine through us well. When we are cleaned, the light can shine through us and out into the world much more brightly.

Indeed, if we are reflecting Christ in His fullness we may be able, in the times to come, to save those who have lost everything they once held dear. This may be our great opportunity, if we are alive in Christ enough to see it. As Jude says in verse 22:

Be merciful to those who doubt; snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear – hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.

I also saw that the Light of Christ is the centre of the Church, without His Light we are nothing, worse than nothing – a counterfeit – a building that pretends to be something that it is most evidently not as darkness falls. If the light in you be darkness, how great is that darkness – as our Lord said in Matthew 6 v23.

It seems to me that the sin of the Church has to be heinous and protracted before this happens – before the lampstand is removed from its place.

The grace of the Lord is deep, He is long-suffering and desires all to repent….indeed far more than we can imagine.

But yet, there comes a time when the lampstand is removed and then, well then, a dark lighthouse is a horrible thing indeed – the spirit of the antichrist.

So we come back to the question – “what then do we do?”. Be assured that this is Gods primary concern. He is eager, with the heart of love itself, to know how we will respond to His call. Are we to be indifferent? Disbelieving? Letting the more immediate things of this world take precedence? Or will we seek Him with our whole heart, wanting to know Him with a passion, wanting to know His will for our life and in this time, and earnestly desiring to put to death all that stands between us and Him?

This is the most important thing that we can do. For sure, we may listen to Him, and ask if there is anything in particular He would have us do in preparation. But what we do is very much secondary to who we are. Are we the Lords? Or are we play-acting? Going though the motions, if you like? Are we serious about the Lord whom we say we serve? This is the most important, the most urgent question before us now. By His grace, we have a window, a short window of time, to decide where our hearts priorities lie.

The truth is this – there is only one place where there is light, life, salvation and security. Only one place that can never be shaken -and that is in Christ. This place is free, but not cheap. It will cost you nothing, and will cost you everything. It offers you life abundantly, joyfully and eternally – and to enter it you must die. Indeed, there is no other way. If you have not entered this life – this Kingdom life, or you were once in the Kingdom and now find yourself once again on the grey plain of the world, then please – turn to Jesus Christ while you still can.

Please consider this final word, The heart of winter, given to me October 2004:

Grey clouds scurry across a twilight sky.
A cool wind blows from the North.
The last of the leaves are blown from the trees.
Dead leaves make patterns in the swirl of the wind.

There is still time.
Come home to Me – there is still time.
Before the heart of winter grips you forever.
Before it is too late.
Come home to Me.

Come home to the one who loves you dearly, and has loved you from before the foundations of the world. Come home to the only sure foundation in the coming storm.

Let Christ be before us,
Let Christ be behind us,
Let Christ be below us,
Let Christ be above us,
Let Christ be within us,
And let Christ be without us.

This is the only place to be, the only place that will endure. This is His call to us now, and in the coming times.

After something of a hiatus, I’d like to continue with a summary of the words received over the last 10 years. Perhaps it is a good time to go back to the first word I received, back in 2002:

I saw a tree, most particularly the root structure, in profile. The soil was shallow and there was a large boulder, or mass of rock underneath. Most roots spread out widely into shallow soil. While the tree was alive, there was no depth to sustain the tree should there be a drought. Neither was there sufficient depth of soil to feed the tree properly.

At the same time I also saw a tap root, extending down through the heart of the rock. The root had the potential to grow and break up the rock, which was preventing a deep and healthy root system.

This vision is both a warning and a hope. The tree represents the Church, in particular the western Church. The warning is that the Church is reliant on shallow soil, and as a result it cannot grow further and it cannot withstand times of trial. We spread our roots widely through all the avenues of shallow faith and faint spiritual reality.

…

This is still so very true in this culture. Did the first waves of the Tsunami shift us in our complacency? I would suggest it was enough to make us a little uneasy, concerned, perhaps a little fearful. But did we look to the right places for answers? And did we really wake up? What would another, stronger wave do? Perhaps we will see, perhaps the Lord of the Sea will send waves to form a mercy judgment. But more on that next time. For now:

Pray therefore, not for judgment or separation, though these things may come, but that even at the 11th hour folk may awaken to their reality, turn and be healed.

Let us have a heart for reconciliation, a heart to save, a heart to bring the harvest home, a heart to love with the Lords burning love. For the Lord desires the destruction of no man.

He remembered that they were but flesh, a passing breeze that does not return.
Ps 78 v39

I would speak a word of mercy.
Mercy to the sons of men.
Mercy to the undeserved, unredeemed and unregenerate.
Mercy to a people upon whom a great darkness has fallen;
as wickedness spreads abroad in the land.
Can such a people be saved?
Can these dry bones live?

Were the Lord like man,
the time for mercy would be past, long ago.
But there is no shadow of turning with Him,
His faithfulness encompasses all generations.

The people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.”
Matthew 4 v16

What hope, then, for us sinners? So much hope – if we would but turn and receive it.

The heart of winter – October 2004

Grey clouds scurry across a twilight sky.
A cool wind blows from the North.
The last of the leaves are blown from the trees.
Dead leaves make patterns in the swirl of the wind.

Will you not come home to Me, my children? Will you still tarry outside?

Winter will be upon you soon, and the heart of winter, winter’s heart, will fall upon you.

I have all things prepared.
The lights are on, the fire stoked, the feast is laid.
Will you not come home?
I am here, to welcome you.
How long will you tarry?

Will you wait until it is too late?
Until the heart of winter is upon you?
Until the snow is thick upon the ground, until a shroud of ice is upon everything?
Until winter’s heart claws at your own heart?
Until there is no life, no love, no peace and no purpose?
Until the heart of winter will claim you as its own?

There is still time.
Come home to me – there is still time.
Before the heart of winter grips you forever.
Before it is too late.
Come home to Me.

Continuing from the last post, and what shaking will reveal:

What is hidden will be revealed – January 2005.

I saw the Holy Spirit, brooding over the earth and the seas covering it. I perceived His plans for us. I saw Him dry up all the seas, and as this was done, what was hidden under the seas was revealed – mountains, valleys, plains and trenches.

My understanding was that the seas represented the Lord’s grace in the natural – that is, his physical provision for us. I saw that He will dry up this provision, and in doing so reveal the hidden natures of our hearts – both the highest heights, and the lowest depths.

I saw that this water – the Lord’s grace in the supernatural – would still be available as a source to be drawn upon by those who are based and grounded in the Lord.

…

The plumbline – January 2008.

The plumbline will be held against all – and none can escape it. The eyes of the One that holds the world in His balance will pierce your heart, also. What therefore then can you offer Him? All that seems real will fade dim on that day. All money, homes, cars and possessions, all friends and family, all your good deeds, all positions and powers held, every aspect of your life will be held against that divine plumbline. Where, sinner, can you escape to then? There will be no hiding place, even though the mountain fall on you, you cannot hide.

…

There is more, but I will pause at this sobering place for now.

Continuing on from my last post…

To run the Race – September 2006

It is the twilight of the current age, and we bask in its fading gleams. Much that can be shaken, soon will be

…

So do we see the shaking now? I would submit that we do, and there is yet more to come.

Tsunami – March 2005

I saw a wave in the distance. It looks benign, insignificant right now.
I was made aware that the old house – the house of God as it is currently – cannot withstand what is coming.

What is coming? A tsunami, a storm.
What storm? A storm both of persecution and of revival.
And we are ready for neither.

…

Tsunami are not made up of one big wave but a number of waves, so we see the successive and larger waves crashing the shores of our indulgence.

It may be that the latest wave passes, leaving us feeling safe until the next one hits us, seemly out of nowhere. I do not know the timing, that is not my purpose, though ‘soon’ and ‘again’ may suffice. The purpose is to warn, that we might be prepared. Do not think I am one of the prophets of doom, who delight in pronouncing judgment on everybody else, snug in their secure bunker. No, I have a family, a job, a church fellowship; I’m just an everyman. I do not expect to be aloof or unaffected by the storms.

What I say is the same as over the years – there is only one safe place, only one refuge as we discover our house of cards is not as secure as our pretense would make it be. The safe place? Christ alone!

I’ve had it in mind for a while to bring together a compilation of some of the words given to me. I think they are as relevant now as they were at the time. I’ll release them again over the next few weeks. Blessings,

Peter

The Spirit of the Age – January 2004.

I am the Lord your God. I see all hearts and discern all purposes. Nothing is hidden from Me. I know your ways and all your plans. I Love you. You bear My Name. You are the people of My pasture. And behold, I am doing a new thing.

I see this land, this culture. It is rich, fat and bloated. You lack nothing! Everything is provided for, and yes, in abundance! I see the gods of money, of avarice, of greed and lust stretching their tentacles throughout this land. New temples to other gods are raised, and people worship in them. I know the evil that dwells here. You think you are rich! But your eyes are blind! Foolish people – look again and see what I see

….

Things have changed a little since 2004 – what seemed like solid ground then, perhaps no longer does. But the Church seems just as willing, perhaps even more eager, to accommodate to, compromise with and in many cases even trumpet the culture. Yes, there are notable exceptions, those who are calling the Bride back to the way of purity. And some have responded, though not yet with their whole heart. Still, as time moves forward it will become clear who worships in the temple of God, and who worships in the temple of Babylon. May we be shown whether the treasure held in our hearts are mere gaudy trinkets or whether we are pursuing the Pearl of great price. Lord, may it be the latter!

Do you not know who you are? – August 2004.

With one prayer, you can change the world.
My beloved, before all creation
Bought with a price
Glittering and Holy
Called by name

Do you think I do not know you?
Heart and soul I do
Eternal and forever
Exquisite crystal
Perfect in purity

Do you not know who you are?

…

The full poem was conceived as a companion piece to the Spirit of the Age. Yes, we must be chastened. But those He chastens, He also loves. Often, we really do not know who, or whose, we are.