The Age To Come

At our church we run a prophetic listening group that meets once a month to hear from the Lord and pray through visions / dream etc that people from our church may have had. I’d like to give you a sense of what we heard earlier this week, and then on from that my understanding of where we are headed in the near future.

One very strong thread that has been running through our personal lives recently has been the need to become unencumbered of the things of the world. As we live enmeshed in the world, it can prove hard to do, nonetheless there are possibilities. For example, getting out from the crushing hand of debt by not overextending ourselves for the latest new ‘thing’, by consciously divesting ourselves of all the ‘stuff’ that clutters our lives by giving to those who genuinely need it, and…well I could go on, the point being that there is a need to unentangle ourselves from the world.

Why? Well, one of the other threads has been the imagery, given in various dream, of travelling, perhaps even as refugees. The understanding here being that we need to be unencumbered and not weighed down, listening to the Lord, so that when He directs us that we immediately go to do His will.

The third thread we have seen is one of trust in our Lord. That the tumult of the world, distracting as though it may be, is no more than transitory fog compared to Christ. That He is very much in control, like a strong current underlying mirror clear water, He is our peace, and our direction. He knows the end from the beginning – we are not to fear but to trust in Him every step of the way.

I’d like to place these threads within my own understanding of the current times, and what is to shortly occur. I think there are soon to be changes in the world that will radically change how we all live. What they might be, and when, I could speculate, but it would be only that – and that is not what is important. If you’ve been listening to anything on this site over the last 18 months, the message has been to prepare. Not prepare out of fear, but to prepare in trust. Neither necessarily a physical preparation, though that plays a part, but fundamentally a spiritual preparation.

Why this spiritual preparation? Because, if our eyes are on the things of the world, and not on Christ, we will be caught up into the same spirit of fear and panic that will infect millions. In either case we will not be taken out of the tumult, and will indeed suffer loss ourselves, but we will have the anchor point in the midst of the storm, the Solid Rock on which our lives are founded. Then, and only then, rising above rack and ruin, we will have an opportunity to bring in a massive harvest home. For all those who have seen their anchors swept away, we may have that opportunity to show them Truth, where before folly held sway.

But it is my impression (and I would welcome yours) that this will be but a window. As a result of the tumult, strong autocratic systems will be put in place and we will see freedom traded for security. Then, when the control is established, so will come persecution. This is why we will need to raise (and be) disciples, not merely converts. For sure, deep faith will be needed to stand firm then. So, we will have our work cut out for us during the window of grace – hence the preperation now. There will come a time when we will need to ask whether we are willing to literally put our lives on the line for the sake of Jesus Christ.

So, this is what we are hearing at the moment, and my understanding of the times. I hope it helps and blesses you.

An insightful email I read recently included this thought:

Since the horrific events of September 11th, 2001, our North American society has been deeply influenced by a media-driven culture built around growing apprehension and alarm. Think of the news items with which we are constantly bombarded that concern the latest studies showing threats to our health, home invasions, child abductions, plunging stock markets, soaring oil prices, terrorist plots, casualties in Afghanistan, and murders down the street. Sales of home alarm systems are growing rapidly. Parents are afraid to let their children play outside or walk half a block to school.

To this, I would offer two thoughts. Firstly, there are many of us who see a shaking of things as they currently are, that there are changes coming to our world, and that many are going to find the things they have trusted in are not secure. In the natural, fear and apprehension are the likely response.

But that is not the way for us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8).

That is the simple truth. If we see these things coming, and our eyes are on anything but Christ, we will sink beneath the waves of apprehension. But, if we fix our eyes on Him, we find the one safe place, the Person who will never let us down. For, God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In 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. There is no fear in love. (1 John 4 16-18a)

Remember and live that today.

We come to it at last….

Yes, I’m being enigmatic. This post has been sitting in my drafts for a couple of months. I haven’t quite known whether to post it or not, as an intuition that I cannot put into words doesn’t necessarily make a good post.

I thought, what with things Anglican here, there and everywhere, now might be a good time to remind ourselves of the larger picture. The excerpt below taken from here.

Ephesians 6:10-13, “Finally my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and have done all to stand.”

This is the indisputable message of God to all who would hear it today. It is not to move to a far off land, it is not to hoard or store, it is to prepare ourselves spiritually for what is about to descent. The message of the hour for God’s remnant is to make sure that their retain the whole armor of God, from truth, to righteousness, to the preparation of the gospel of peace, to faith, salvation and the word of God. All these parts make the whole, all are equally important, and all are necessary to our ability to overcome the darkness, and to stand in the evil day.

We cannot have the breastplate, without the sword or the helmet, or the helmet without having our waist girded, and our feet shod. All work in concert, to make up the true warrior of Christ, one who is not only willing to stand, but able to stand, who has done all in preparation for the battle that is to come.

We must be complete Christians, in complete armor, whole and unwavering in the face of the evil day that is upon us. That the evil days are approaching is no longer a debatable issue, for all one must do is turn on the morning news, or surf a few news sites to see where the world is headed. I speak not of a singular nation, but of a global crisis that will test the faith, endurance, and resilience of every man.

These are the days in which few will stand, and many will fall, wherein one will know in whom they have placed their trust and in whom they have relied.

We prepare not that we may boast of our foresight, we put on the armor not so others might see we are warriors, but simply that we might stand, and having done all to stand.

When all the messages of ease and comfort, of opulence and excess will be proven an illusion by the reality that will set in there will be chaos within what we now know as the church. Uncertain, unprepared, defenseless, many will run to and fro looking for truth, looking for an anchor in the storm, and it will be in these days that some will be called upon to point the way to the Bible, to the cross, to Christ. With wisdom as our guide, may we prepare now for the soon coming days, may our foundation be firmly planted upon the rock that is Christ and His word, that in our obedience and humility we might have peace, and the comfort of knowing that we are safe from harm in His eternal embrace.