Understanding the Times We Live in Part 1

Understanding the times we live in Part 1 1 Chronicles 12:32a And of the children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do;   Over the last 3 weeks I have had a number of words and prophesies e-mailed to me, Along with many asking which ones are right or which ones are from the Lord? Most of the concerns that people have are related to the economy, this of course reflects the fundamental reality which is, that most Christians either consciously or unconsciously place their security in wealth. It needs to be noted that the final test the church will face revolves around the security of wealth. God will finally remove all of our personal hard currency thus forcing us to trust the Lord. Revelation 13:17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. The deception that states, that will be will all be raptured out of this world before the antichrist takes power, is one of the most devastating lies the enemy has ever sowed into the church. (However more of this in the next issue) there is coming a time soon where we will not be able to buy or sell. God will allow this coming scenario in order to remove our dependence upon finance and bring us to a place of total trust in the Lord. While ministering in conventions in the USA in October /November 2008 I warned the people of impending judgments that were coming upon the USA. Even though much prayer was made for God to stay His hand, the church in the USA did not have what it would take in order to avert judgment.  The church has slid downward into a state where it is hard to tell the difference between many Christians and the ungodly.  The increasing divorce rate among many ministers and the Body of Christ in general is now higher than the non-churched, this is not meant to be a judgment simply a reality and this reality clearly indicates that something has gone very wrong in the church. The user friendly church concept has done and continues to do great harm to the Body of Christ in lowering the standard of Holiness to the lowest common denominator. Holiness has become unpopular as the lure of church growth at any cost has diluted the sacred standards the Bible set forth in the Ten Commandments and in the Sermon on the Mount. We live in a world where the sacredness of marriage is being eroded to such a degree that even the church embraces the same spirit. It is not all right for new converts to live together out of marriage even if it is tolerated in many churches today, no wonder the Lord has held back the harvest He can’t trust most churches with the precious new converts.  The Lord will not allow genuine revival without genuine holiness; the Lakeland outpouring was a clear lesson on how not to do it. One of the roles of fathers is to set the standards of the household, enough said.  The church age is giving way to the Kingdom Age and the Kingdom is not about numbers, it’s about a Universal Kingdom, One Body, One Church. Those churches who are more interested in numbers than they are in holiness are in for devastating loss. Judgment is part of Gods redemptive plan Isaiah 26:9  With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness. When Gods judgments are in the earth revival will also flourish, yes judgment is enfolding now and this judgment is twofold, it is upon the church and it is in the nations of the world. The state of a nation is a direct reflection of the church in the nation. Deuteronomy 28:1 And it shall come to pass,  if  thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth: 2 And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God. 7 The LORD shall cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thy face: they shall come out against thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways. 8 The LORD shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, and in all that thou settest thine hand unto; and he shall bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee. 9  The LORD shall establish thee an holy people unto himself, as he hath sworn unto thee, if thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God, and walk in his ways. God said if we would keep His commandments and listen to His voice certain things would happen. Deuteronomy 28:13 And the LORD shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the LORD thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them: Jesus said that the church is supposed to be the salt of the earth. Salt is used to preserve. It is used to disinfect wounds in other words it is used to purify and add flavor to the nation. Jesus went on to say if the church (the salt) loses its savor it is fit only to be thrown out and trodden underfoot by ungodly men, and these ungodly men will rule the nation.  Math 5:13 Hard times lie ahead  As the economy continues to get worse those religious organizations that are not built on righteousness and truth will begin to disintegrate because if the foundations are not built on Jesus and His teachings the house will be shaken down. Hebrews 12:26 Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. 27 And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. 28 Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: Everything in the church that is not of God will be removed as God continues to set up His Kingdom. Matthew 7:26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: 27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it. Jesus everyone who heareth His saying and does not do them is building his life or church on the sand, and these saying are contained primarily in the Sermon on the Mount. As God moves to remove the tares from the wheat sifting out that which is built on sand and not the rock Jesus, everything built with wrong motives will be removed until God has a people He can trust, only then can He release wealth to build what He the Lord is building.  This economic crisis is also a test for each individual and the church as to where our true values lie. God will take care of us as long as we are taking care of what He is building in the earth it is time to invest in the Kingdom. Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. We need to invest while we have funds in order to insure our security in the treacherous days that lie ahead. However we need to invest in what God is doing, what is on His heart in order to insure that we are not building and investing in sandcastles which will be swept away in the coming storms. Blessings Neville Johnson  11 March 2009