My Glorious Work
Priscilla Van Sutphin
www.upstreamca.org
tearsofthefather@comcast.net
Dec 24th, 2004
I am the Resurrection and the Life. No man cometh to Me except that I draw him. Know that I am about to draw MANY into My Kingdom. It will be a great wind that brings this harvest. Nothing can stop My wonderful work.
Many are planting seeds and now many of those seeds planted are going to bear much fruit. I am come that you might have LIFE ! I am going to pour
out on you a much greater measure than you have imagined of My LIFE.
Do not think that I am coming to bring peace however. This Wind that comes will bring My abundant LIFE and LOVE like never before, but it will be met with opposition. That is the nature of revival. For some will receive it, and others will not. Some will try to control it and you. Remember I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH and the LIFE !
I am coming to fill your baskets full that MY WILL can be done in bringing the Kingdom over all the earth. TRUST ME to be your advocate and Your DEFENDER ! I will not disappoint you My beloveds ! Open the gates of your hearts and let the King of Glory come in ! Who is this King of glory ? THE LORD MIGHTY IN BATTLE !!!
Ps 24:7-10 NKJV Lift up your heads, O you gates! And be lifted up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in. 8 Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, The LORD mighty in battle.
9 Lift up your heads, O you gates! Lift up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in. 10 Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts,
He is the King of glory. Selah
Do only what I tell you or lead you to do. No more, no less. Follow the narrow path for great is the path that leads to destruction. Listen for the still small voice. Listen ! For I am calling to you. Let Me come in and sup with you. Let me dance with you and sing over you with delight. Do not be frightened by the appearance of angels. Test the spirits. Know that I am with you and will guide you as I bring forth My glorious work ! My winds are blowing and they will blow away all the chaff in your lives and the lives of those outside as well. Multitudes in the valley of decision ! All I allow has purpose. My purpose will be accomplished in your life. You can depend on it.
I WILL in no wise keep you from it ! All over the world, My Winds will blow
on My garden of reknown. Sudden changes are coming. Are you ready My beloveds ? Do not hesitate to follow after Your God willingly. Do not be surprised how this will come SUDDENLY !!!
Hidden Motives
Priscilla Van Sutphin
Dec 21st, 2004
www.upstreamca.org
tearsofthefather@comcast.net
Phil 1:18 NKJV What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached; and in this I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice.
1 Cor 4:5 NIV Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.
Motives/counsels NT:1012 boule (boo-lay'); from NT: 1014; volition, i.e. (objectively) advice, or (by implication) purpose: KJV - advise, counsel, will.
“My beloveds, I have been exposing in many of you the hidden motives of your heart, that you could see the barreness in your own life in certain areas. This is the plowing of your heart so that what is still hidden in the way of hurts and pain that is unhealed can be dealt with. There is still much insecurity and fears in your lives. And these disqualified people in the past from serving ME. I have heard your cries for wholeness and I am answering.
It’s just that your ways are not My ways always. I want you to learn your lessons well, so you never choose to divert this way or that way, away from My grace and perfect will for your life.
Do not be ashamed of your failures in motivations. Do not be overcome by your own sorrow at the lack in your flesh. I am exposing it that it can be dealt with. I will expose all the motives of men’s hearts. So you need not fear that I’m incapable of healing the most decrepid of hearts. I will heal the cold and calloused of heart. I will heal those who cower in fear and
hide from being real in life. Many of you have overcome many of the areas that others are still behind in. This has caused many to grow intolerant of the others still languishing and unhealed. I am PATIENT. That is a fruit of the Spirit. PEACE will give you patience ! Ask for My peace which comes when you keep your eyes STAYED on Me ! Look not around at all the circumstances, but lift your heads and worship. Thank Me even for those who misunderstand you and persecute you. REJOICE, and again I say REJOICE.
LESS OF YOU AND MORE OF ME is what I am after. You must decrease for Me to increase ! Humble yourselves in the sight of the LORD and HE will lift you up, the Word says ! Delight yourself in the Lord and HE will give you the desires of your heart. Ask for what you lack. Admit your lack and your sins. Stop hiding them and confess them to someone you trust not to trample you underfoot. Confession helps dissipate the attack of the enemy for he seeks always to secretly accuse you so that you despair. He is in hope of destroying those I am coming to. If he could kill many of you he will try. But I ALONE HOLD THE KEYS TO HELL AND DEATH !
I am laying waste all PRETENSE in your lives so that you will be real with each other and the world. I will destroy the hidden motives from My people who love me and know and confess their weaknesses. Do not allow the enemy to testify against you ! Do not hide your sins, but confess them to one another and be healed ! I came to provide the GRACE that you can walk in overcoming power and victory. But you must stop the hiding ! You must walk courageously with at least one other person. Part of restoration is making restitution. Zaccheus paid back finances he had stolen. For some of you all it will take is an apology. That means HUMBLING yourself and admitting you slandered someone and asking forgiveness. Or if you gossiped to confess it and allow the body to help pray for you so that you will be freed. Criticism is highly rampant in my church with a biting and devouring spirit running rampant.
The root of that criticism is PRIDE. Yes, you heard it ! PRIDE ! You are part of the problem or you can be part of the solution. It’s your choice.
There are times when I ask you to leave, to be the seed that dies and falls to the ground. There are other times when you need to pray it through and stop complaining and instead PRAISE ME in the midst of persecution and maligning. Much of what has come against you, is for your refining ! Obviously I do not want anyone to be hurt. But for some, it is the only way to develop compassion in you. I was a man acquainted with grief and sorrow.
Much of My church has not believed the doctrine of suffering with ME.
They think they shouldn’t have to suffer anything while others in other nations are dying and being persecuted and tormented and maimed for My name’s sake. I said if you share in My SUFFERING, you will SHARE IN MY GLORY. Are you willing to go all the way with ME ? Will you only love ME if I allow only good things to happen to you ? Will you give up when persecution comes ? I tell you the truth, it is coming. Will you complain and cry and dive into self pity, or will you take up your cross and walk ? Know that in the carrying of the cross, you will receive great glory ! Many have given up much more than you. Every day in other nations children starve.
I came to bring you life and prosperity, but the prosperity I bring is not always what you imagine ! You will have more than enough if you humble yourself and worship in spite of what is going on in your life ! The enemy is being used to SIFT you. I want you to come forth as GOLD ! Will you allow ME to be LORD and Master over your life or will you cling to your own will ? Begin to give up your will completely and watch how I will bless you ! Stop allowing yourselves to be deceived. Speak the Word of Life, but realize the work I am doing and call on ME for understanding. I am the RESOURCE of all you need. I AM WISDOM ! I love you as no other loves you and I will do what is BEST for you ! I promise to not leave you nor forsake you. What kind of parent abandons their child ? I AM NOT THAT PARENT ! I am a good FATHER who always has the best in mind for My children.”
1 Thess 2:3 NIV For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you.
James 4:3 NIV When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
Prov 16:2 NIV All a man's ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the LORD.
1 Peter 2:19-24 NKJV For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully. 20 For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God. 21 For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: 22 "Who committed no sin,
Nor was deceit found in His mouth"; 23 who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; 24 who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness — by whose stripes you were healed.
Acts 14:22 NKJV strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, "We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God."
2 Cor 4:17 NKJV For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,
1 Thess 3:7-8 NKJV therefore, brethren, in all our affliction and distress we were comforted concerning you by your faith. 8 For now we live, if you stand fast in the Lord.
Heb 11:24-26 NKJV By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, 25 choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, 26 esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward.
Releasing My Glory
Musa Opiyo
Dec 23, 04
In this day I am releasing My Glory upon My people in greater measure than they have previously known. I am responding to their hearts' cry and the hunger of My beloved that I would reveal Myself and make My will known to them. Let it be known that My Glory is not reserved for a chosen few but for all that will come to Me hungering for My presence. When you lift your praises before Me I dwell in the praises of My people and so I cannot help but release waves of My Glory.
You are My children and it pleasures Me to see you bask in My presence yielded to Me. What you have received in small measures you shall now get in floods, for I am flooding My Glory into your hearts and into your situations and I am turning them around for My benefit. I am visiting you with fresh vigor because I have heard your praises, your prayers and your cries for Me and now I am responding to that call, says the Lord.
Blessings,
Musa Opiyo
Web: http://mannaword.no-ip.com
Email: mopiyo@etpv.org
A Season Of Abundance and Release
Musa Opiyo
Dec 19, 04
I am breaking the strong gates of iron that have been over My people. I am bringing release says the Lord from the hand of the oppressor. No longer shall you be stolen from or overpowered, for now I am come with My strong hand to rid My people of the giants in their land. I now call you, My victorious people to rise to the occasion and walk in My freedom. Walk in the Jubilee season for what has held you back has been destroyed. You have My anointing that has broken the yoke of the enemy. No longer shall My people groan under the spirit of heaviness for I have released My Joy over you. Rejoice, even shout for joy, for I have overcome all your trials and all that has beset you and I have given you the victory. As you stand in My authority and walk in My presence, you will see the dark clouds of discouragement and despair dissipate as My Son (Sun) shines upon you. Along with My Son I am raining down My Holy Spirit afresh upon My people to give you a season of refreshing.
For many of you, you have been in the desert where you have been tried and tested by My Spirit. You have come to know that it is not by might or power but only by My Spirit that you can live, breathe and have your being. You have by experience come to know My Spirit as your Sustainer and your source of Strength. That I AM your Provision. That I AM your Everything. Yes, you have come to understand the concept of Me being the vine and you being the branches and the fact that without Me you are disconnected and without stable ground. It has not been easy but I have led you by My wisdom as you simply trusted in My ability to lead you day by day. You are now coming to a season of abundance both spiritually and physically yet My beloved the principle of complete trust in Me is still vital. The enemy wants to distract you and lead you into passivity while he plunders you, yet I call you to be alert concerning his wiles. As you remain in Me and allow Me to be your source, I will lead you to your abundance and give you the wisdom. I will open your eyes to what the enemy is doing so that you pray accordingly and take action. For indeed the year of 2005 will be a year of abundance, an expansion and an explosion of more. It is also a year that I am training My people to war in the Spirit on a higher level than they have known.
Be ready! Be strong and courageous and do not lose sight of the vision. In all your endeavors I am with you guiding you by the Holy Spirit if you will listen to My voice and take heed. Great things are coming for My people says the Lord.
http://www.angelfire.com/un/mannaword
Self-Discipline
Mary Clark
12/23/05
(A Prophetic Exhortation)
I want to talk to My children about self-discipline. I want you to know that it is a good thing to apply your self control. It is a good thing to tell yourself “no” about certain things. I want you to know that I practiced self discipline when I walked the earth. I practiced it many, many times, and I believe that I conquered many things that tried to get a toehold on My heart. Yes, I tell you that self discipline is GOOD – very good!
But let Me tell you something that is not good: What happens when you fail to follow the edicts of your mind? What happens when you fail to say “no” to yourself? Do you simply say, “Lord, I am sorry that I did not practice self-discipline on this occasion?” Or do you beat yourself up with words of derision and disgust? What do you do?
I will tell you what I would have you do when you fail in your endeavor to practice self discipline: I would have you recognize what you did, ask My forgiveness, and then go on from there, not looking back. I would have you speed away from the thought processes that follow an act of lack in self discipline, not looking back, but moving forward, looking ahead to what your Beloved has planned for you.
I am not a God Who delights in seeing His dear children beating themselves over the head with words of hate and ridicule. I don’t use them against you, so don’t you use them against yourself!
Now! That is what I wanted to say about this thing called self-discipline. That is all that I am going to say on this subject tonight, but I want you to know, beloved: I take delight in you – much delight, and I want you to take delight in the work that I am doing in you. One day you are going to realize that the thing that was plaguing you is gone – all gone, and for that who will you have to thank? You will have Me to thank. That is Who. So thank Me now for what I am doing in your life, and rely on Me to move you to those greener pastures of delight for which you crave. I said that I would do it, didn’t I? Then trust Me to perform My expertise in your life. Trust Me, beloved, to take you to those green pastures where you will feed on the lushness of My word and drink from My refreshing stream of delight. That is what I have planned for you. That is where I am taking you.
So don’t beat yourself up when you fail. Simply say, “Father, I failed again in this endeavor, but I thank You that you are moving me out of this place of failure and into a place of success. Thank You, dear Lord, for removing that thing that besets Me and giving Me a new freedom to express My heart to you as I go about your work – your wonderful work – here on earth, of speaking your truth. You are my God, and I trust Your deliverance for me in the only way that You deliver it – totally, completely, and without a single hitch. Thank You, dear Father, for that knowledge, and thank You for working Your wondrous will in me!!!”
That is it, beloved. That is what I wanted to say on this subject of self discipline. Look forward to seeing My will manifest in your life and know the perfect peace that lies therein. I am your God. I love you, and I take much delight in you. I want you to know that one who follows My lead is never disappointed. One who follows My lead reaches his destiny, and that one I am certainly proud to call My very own. That is the gist of My feelings on this subject, dear child. Now, I want you to be free, for the one the Son sets free is free indeed, and that, beloved, is YOU!!!
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The Coming Of The Lord
David Wilkerson
When I was a boy, the cry of the church was, "Jesus is coming! Like a thief in the night, he will return when you least expect him. He'll come in the twinkling of an eye, with the sound of the trumpet. Be ready at all times."
Throughout my teenage years, this cry was heard at every Sunday meeting. Every evangelist who came to preach in my father's church had a stirring message about the soon return of Christ. Their cries are burned into my memory. And the message formed in me a godly fear and expectancy. I learned to live expecting the Lord to return at any moment.
This cry, "Jesus is coming", is seldom heard in the church today. I can't remember the last time I heard a message on the coming of the Lord. As a result, when I look at Christ's body, I see little expectancy for the Lord's soon return. Sadly, only a few righteous servants seem to yearn and look for his appearing.
In fact, there is a new mindset on this subject among many Christians. The thinking is, "Jesus isn't coming. We've heard that for years now. Of all the prophecies that need to be fulfilled before his return, only a few have come to pass. Why should we expect his appearing? Everything continues just as it has."
The Bible warned of this very mindset. Peter said scoffers would come in the last days, mocking the message of Christ's return: "There shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of his coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation" (2 Peter 3:3-4).
Incredibly, many dread the sudden return of Christ. The very thought of their life coming to an end, and of having to face a day of judgment, is so frightening that they put it out of their minds. How could this be true of believers, you ask? According to Peter, their lives are dictated by lusts: "walking after their own lusts" (3:3).
Think about what Peter is saying. If you cling to a bosom sin, you want nothing to do with this message of Christ's return. The idea that Jesus will come and judge you is the most frightening thought any sinner could have. So you have to mock the idea of having to stand before God in your consuming lust and give an account.
Peter's message to us is clear: "Here is what's behind all the flippancy about Christ's coming: a mockery of God's law. It's a hatred for the Bible, a despising of the Ten Commandments, a contempt for the evangelical gospel. That's the cause behind all the lawlessness, the flaunting of sin, the powerlessness of the church. Mockers are preaching a new message: 'Christ isn't coming. There is no day of reckoning. All things continue just as they have for years. You don't have to fear a judgment day.'"
Just as Peter prophesied, those mockers are here today. And they're not mocking the law of the land. They're mocking the laws of God. We see it in the push to break down the institution of marriage between a man and a woman. Their focus isn't the Constitution, but God's Word. And these mockers are in high places: in Congress, in high courts, in colleges and schools, even in biblical seminaries.
Because of this rampant lawlessness, people have been plagued with a willful blindness. Mockers can be heard saying, "All things continue on in an orderly fashion. The sun will rise on schedule tomorrow, the seasons will come and go. All the warnings we heard in the past still haven't come to pass. So, let nothing disturb you. Indulge and enjoy yourself. Do whatever makes you happy."
I have to shake my head at this. How could anyone living today say that things continue as they always have? Think of the absurdity of this statement, in these terrifying times. Terrorists have destroyed the Twin Towers in New York. They've blown up a train station in Spain. And they're beheading people in the Middle East.
It has been said that a mass genocide like the Holocaust could never happen in our day. Yet 700,000 innocent Rwandans have been slaughtered by their own countrymen in a matter of months. AIDS is killing millions in Africa, China, India and other nations. Rogue countries with the hydrogen bomb are poised to hold the rest of the world hostage. And there is a rise of deadly new diseases, such as SARS and Ebola, that consume a person's flesh within weeks.
"All things continue as they have"? What willful ignorance. It should be clear even to the ungodly that the Lord is shaking everything that can be shaken. And what's coming in the near future is too dreadful even to think about.
Yet, as all these things happen, there is a mighty, unseen power at work in the earth. It's a power no man can evade or ignore. I'm talking about the power of the Holy Spirit. He is Christ's administrator on earth. He was sent to empower the righteous, and to convict the world of sin, righteousness and judgment.
The Holy Spirit knows exactly why Jesus hasn't come yet. It is because our Lord is longsuffering. He is patient toward sinners, willing that no person should perish. In his mercy, he's waiting for the vilest sinner to repent. And for that very reason, the Holy Spirit will not let up on his assignment. You can mock him or try to shake him off, but the Spirit comes again and again, convicting of sin and revealing the truth of Christ.
--- Although mockers will come, Scripture says the Holy Spirit will also come in the last days, being poured out on the earth. ---
This has happened, at Pentecost. And now, at the closing of the age, the Holy Spirit is making a final, midnight cry: "Jesus is coming." Islamics and Hindus will hear this cry. Atheists will hear it. Every sinner and saint, every Jew and Gentile on earth, will hear it. This truth will be proclaimed to the nations.
You may ask, "What kind of 'coming of the Lord' are you talking about? Are you referring to a secret rapture? Are you speaking of a pre-tribulation return, or mid-trib, or post-trib? Or, do you mean Jesus will come at the very end of time?"
Some Christians believe that Jesus will suddenly evacuate his people from the earth in what's called a rapture. Others teach that Christ will come midway through a period known as the great tribulation. This period will last for seven years, and will be marked by terror and chaos such as the world has never seen. Others believe Jesus will come at the end of this seven-year tribulation period. Still others teach that Christ will return at the very end of all things.
There are respected biblical scholars in each of these camps. Yet there is one thing every Christian can agree on: Jesus himself says no man knows the hour of his coming, not even the angels. And for the true lover of Christ, the timing of his return is not an issue. Such servants are ready to go at any time, whether through a sudden rapture or in the midst of tribulation. It doesn't matter to them whether they have to endure terrible trials and suffering. They trust that the same Jesus who carries them through each day now will see them through all things. They live in constant expectancy of his return.
No, there is a greater issue at work here. And that is the wicked thought that Satan has implanted in many who claim to be true believers. The devil is whispering a vicious lie into the ears of multitudes of God's people: "Christ has delayed his coming."
In Matthew 24, Jesus tells a parable about being ready: "Be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.
"But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to smite his fellow-servants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; the lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, and shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth" (Matthew 24:44-51).
Note that Jesus is speaking about servants here, meaning believers. One servant is called faithful and the other evil. What makes the latter servant evil in God's eyes? According to Jesus, it's something he "shall say in his heart" (24:48). This servant doesn't voice such a thought, and he doesn't preach it. But he thinks it. He has sold his heart on the demonic lie, "The Lord delays his coming." Notice he doesn't say, "The Lord isn't coming," but "he delays his coming." In other words: "Jesus won't come suddenly or unexpectedly. He won't return in my generation."
This "evil servant" is clearly a type of believer, perhaps even one in ministry. He was commanded to "watch" and "be ready," "for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh" (Matthew 24:44). Yet this man eases his conscience by accepting Satan's lie.
Jesus shows us the fruit of this kind of thinking. If a servant is convinced that the Lord has delayed his coming, then he sees no need for right living. He isn't compelled to make peace with his fellow servants. He doesn't see the need to preserve unity in his home, at work, in church. He could smite his fellow servants, accuse them, hold grudges, destroy their reputations. As Peter says, this servant is driven by his lusts. He wants to live in two worlds, indulging in evil living while believing he's safe from righteous judgment.
--- Some claim that Paul warned against preaching that the Lord's coming is near, so as not to excite people. ---
Paul wrote, "We beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, that ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand" (2 Thessalonians 2:1-2).
Scoffers point out, "See, someone in the early church shook up believers with the message that Christ was about to come. And Paul told them, 'No, don't worry about it. Don't let it trouble or concern you.'"
But that's not what the original Greek reveals. The root word is "[be not shaken]...that the day of the Lord has come." What disturbed the Thessalonians was they thought Christ had already come, and that they'd missed it.
Paul reassures them in the next verse, "Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition" (2:3). Paul was only addressing their fears when he said, "Don't be worried, because two things have to happen first."
So, what was Paul's primary theology about Christ's return? We find it in two passages: "Knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, and the day is at hand" (Romans 13:11-12). "Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand" (Philippians 4:5). Paul is crying, "Wake up! It's past midnight already. The Lord's coming is drawing near, so stir yourself. Don't be slothful. Jesus is coming for those who expect him."
Skeptics may ask, "But what about Paul's own words? He did say two things had to happen before Christ returns. First, the Lord can't come until a great apostasy takes place. And second, the Antichrist has to rise up and proclaim himself God. We have to see the Antichrist sitting in the temple, demanding that people worship him, before Jesus will come."
First of all, you have to be willfully blind not to see a raging apostasy gripping the whole world. Unbelief is sweeping through nations, with believers falling away from faith on all sides. The apostasy Paul refers to clearly has arrived.
Note Paul's words here: "The mystery of iniquity doth already work" (2 Thessalonians 2:7). What is this mystery of iniquity? It is lawlessness. It's a spirit of chaos, with no respect for God's law. And it's the very reason why God destroyed the earth by Flood, because of man's violence and lawlessness.
If the lawlessness that Paul saw in his day has only increased, it's no wonder decent people today are alarmed and frightened by what they see happening. Laws and institutions that for ages kept society from falling into chaos are being torn down left and right.
Paul says of this, "He who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way" (2:7). He's telling us, "There is a restraining power at work, holding back the chaos. But that restrainer is about to be removed." The Spirit will always be here to fulfill his mission. But his restraining ministry will be "taken," or lifted, "out of the way."
I can think of no power that's able to restrain lawlessness other than the Holy Spirit. Think about what happens to a society when the Holy Spirit lifts his restraining power. Every institution, from government down to families, spins totally out of control. I can't imagine what New York City would be like without the Restrainer holding back wickedness from erupting. I wouldn't want to be near this city if the Holy Spirit weren't at work.
Yet we see a spirit of lawlessness at work all over the world. The Antichrist forces are already gathering and revealing themselves at high levels. Right now, the European Union is putting into place a Constitution that totally denies God. A Pentecostal minister in Sweden sits in jail today for preaching against homosexuality. That's just one sign of how the stage is being set.
You may say, "Yes, but Paul clearly says Jesus can't come until the Antichrist is in power." Yet, consider what Scripture says: "Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son" (1 John 2:22). According to John, the Antichrist is anyone who denies the Father and the Son. Moreover, he says, the increase of such Antichrists is proof that we're living in the very last days. In addition, there will come a man who will embody the "name of sin."
In short, nothing is holding back Christ's return. Think of the worldwide terrorism, the deification of self, the blatant attacks on marriage and godly values. Think of Islamic brutality, militant homosexuality, the vileness of TV and movies, the widespread molestation of children. One Catholic diocese on the west coast recently declared bankruptcy, unable to pay the millions awarded to sixty childhood molestation victims by one priest.
Consider that all this has been under restraint until now. I ask you, what happens when God says to the One who has been restraining it all, "Lift your restraining hand. Let it run its course to the climax"? Paul gives us a picture: "(The Restrainer) will...be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed" (2 Thessalonians 2:7-8).
The Holy Spirit knows what is soon to take place, when there will be no more restraint. Every man will give himself over to his lusts. Every militant religion will force its gods on others. Every holy thing will be despised. Every law will be broken freely. And the backslidden church will preach the most corrupt, damnable doctrines of hell.
Everything is in place for this to happen even now. Great apostasy has covered the earth. Self has taken the throne of men's hearts. And in a very short time, when the Restrainer is gone, there will come what Paul calls a "strong delusion, that they should believe a lie" (2 Thessalonians 2:11).
What is this lie? It's the blind acceptance that anyone who comes in Jesus' name speaks for God. False teachers will arise who acknowledge Christ as a good man but not as God: "having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof" (2 Timothy 3:5). Those who follow these deceivers will be drawn to another Jesus, another gospel. The blindness will be sweeping, catching up multitudes, including those who were once on fire for the Lord.
Why is God going to stop the Restrainer? Because, Paul says, "They...believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness" (2 Thessalonians 2:12). Right now we're seeing the Holy Spirit's restraints being lifted a little more each day.
--- This brings me to the heart of my message: the heart-cry of the man or woman who is in Christ. ---
In Revelation, Jesus announces, "Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book" (Revelation 22:7). Five verses later Christ says, "Behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be" (22:12).
Here is the cry of all who look expectantly for Jesus' return: "The Spirit and the bride say, Come" (22:17). This refers to the bride of Christ, made up of a worldwide body of believers under his Lordship. All these servants are born-again, blood-cleansed believers.
You may ask, "I understand this is the believer's heart-cry. But why would the Spirit also cry to Jesus, 'Come'?" It is because this is the Holy Ghost's last prayer, knowing his work on earth is almost completed. Like Paul or Peter, who were told by God their time was short, the Spirit likewise cries, "Come, Lord Jesus."
So, where do we hear this cry of the Spirit today? It comes through those who are seated with Christ in heavenly places, who live and walk in the Spirit, their bodies the temple of the Holy Ghost. The Spirit cries in and through them, "Hasten, Lord, come."
Let me ask you: when was the last time you prayed, "Lord Jesus, come quickly, come soon"? Personally, I can't remember praying this prayer. The fact is, I never knew I could hasten Christ's coming by allowing the Spirit to pray this prayer through me. Yet Peter gives us proof of this incredible truth: "Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat" (2 Peter 3:12). In Greek, the phrase "hasting...the coming of (that) day" means "to speed up, to urge on." Peter says our expectant prayers are hastening, speeding up, urging the Father to send back his Son quickly.
Only one issue is holding up that glorious event. It is a single unresolved matter: "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance" (3:9).
The Lord's merciful patience dictates the timing of his return. So, does this mean we shouldn't pray for his coming? Not at all. Christ himself tells us in Mark's gospel, "In those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be. And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect's sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days" (Mark 13:19-20). Imagine what might happen if, all over the world, Christ's bride were to wake up and pray in the Spirit, "Jesus, come."
Yet, if I believe the world is racing toward unrestrained chaos, and that Christ is coming soon, then my cry must be aimed at my unprepared family and friends. It would be hypocritical for me to pray for Jesus to come, and yet not intercede for my loved ones to be ready for that day. My prayer must be, "Come, Lord. But first, give my lost family and friends ears to hear. Save them, save the lost."
Paul wrote to his spiritual son, Timothy, "Without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day" (2 Timothy 1:3). Can you say with a pure conscience that you've prayed for your unsaved loved ones with such intensity?
--- Here is the heart of the matter. ---
For a moment, set aside all doctrines about Christ's coming. Consider this heart-cry of the man or woman who loves his appearing: "Then we shall see him face to face. We shall behold him" (see 1 Corinthians 13:12). Jesus' coming shouldn't disturb you. It ought to thrill you. If you truly love someone, you want to be near that person. Can you imagine what it will be like for Jesus to call your name?
Imagine a couple who's newly married, and the husband is called away for an extended period, perhaps on business or in the military. He tells his bride, "I'll be back, but I don't know when. Here's the address where you can reach me."
For the first few years, that bride writes to her husband often, with beautiful love letters. Yet she never says, "Please, come back soon!" Ten years pass, then twenty, and she writes him less and less. Still, she never says, "Come quickly, I beseech you. I need your embrace, I need to see your face. I'm praying for your soon return."
This is a picture of the church today. How can we tell Christ we love him and miss him, yet never pray that he comes back for us? How can we never express to him that he must return soon and take us with him, so we can be in his constant company? How can we not say, "I can't handle this anymore without your being here. I don't want to be away from you"?
In the midst of these times, I hear Jesus saying, "Surely I come quickly" (Revelation 22:20). And I hear the bride of Christ answering, "Even so, come, Lord Jesus" (22:20).
What Will The New Year Bring
Stephen Hanson
Dec. 16, 2004
ISA 60:2 See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you and his glory appears over you.
JOEL 2:2 a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness. Like dawn spreading across the mountains a large and mighty army comes, such as never was of old nor ever will be in ages to come.
“In this season you are preparing for the new year and the new year’s activities. What will the new year bring? What will you face? Will activities and circumstances go on as usual? I tell you that the borders of your country will be breached. I tell you that that man that you have been looking for will be found out. The war will continue with Iraq. This man who has helped plot many terrorist developments will be found out. Life will seemingly go on as usual, but the darkness invades the land. You are living in a time when all of these events are pointing to my soon return. “