“For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes…” Matt 24:7

Are we really entering the “Last Days” this time? Over the years, signs and omens, prophesies fulfilled, God’s “time-clock” (Israel) have alerted the church to ask this vital question. The uptick in destabilizing and frightening trends worldwide, especially the deadly pandemic, have sounded an alarm: is this the beginning of the End? Many of us are feeling the urgency to be better prepared. Rightly so! But how?

Many Bible teachers are digging into Daniel and Revelation. Calendars and charts are being drafted to interpret modern events in light of prophesy. Newspapers and social media are being scoured. We’ve all noticed an increase in dreams and prophesies being circulated. While these are all valid responses, the question I am asking is more basic: Are we prepared to suffer?

Persecution is one of those subjects that is hard to talk about. Sermons on the subject don’t get many “likes”! Who wouldn’t rather hear messages about revival?! Peter didn’t agree. Much of 1 Peter is about suffering. He literally exhorts us to “arm yourselves” with the thought of suffering (4:1). This is one of those things for which we do not want to be ill-prepared! If we are caught off guard, we may well compromise, capitulate, or crumble.

I believe one of the keys to you and I standing firm in the face of intense pressure is to learn from those who have endured great hardships for the sake of the gospel. I for one have been blessed to know many who have been persecuted. This includes more than 50 pastors who suffered for more than 20 years prisons for their faith. I also served as a Romanian pastor’s interpreter and co-laborer for hundreds of sermons and thousands of miles on the road over a four year period. Pastor Daniel had burn marks and scars all over his body from the tortures he had received. And yet he was joyful and showed no bitterness. Let me pass on a few things I have gleaned from these courageous forerunners.

First, I learned that there is a special grace and favor available to those who suffer for His Name. Paul wrote this to the church in Philippi, where he had been flogged and put in a dungeon with his feet fastened in stocks: “that it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake” (Ph 1:29). The word granted in Greek is charizomai, from which we get the words grace and gift. The persecuted have latched on to an extraordinary truth that I believe God wants to us to shout from the rooftops in these Last Days: Rather than shrink in fear in the face of suffering and increasing turmoil, let us lift up our heads in anticipation of a manifestation of God’s grace and glory like we have never seen before. God’s gifts often come wrapped in packages we least expect.

Based on his experience as one who had been tortured, Peter wrote to encourage the Christians that suffering can be a blessing in disguise. He exhorted them: “Rejoice to the extent that you partake (Gr. koinoneo) of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed you may also be glad with exceeding joy. If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.” 1 Pt 4:12-14.

It’s remarkable that Peter used the word koinoneo here. This exquisite Greek word speaks of deep fellowship and communion. I used to read the phrase, when his glory is revealed to mean at The Second Coming. While Jesus most definitely will bestow all manner of rewards and blessings upon us when He returns, Peter assures us that intimacy and glory are for the present, i.e. in the midst of suffering. Paul sang as he was bound and bloodied in prison. Peter speaks of inexpressible joy in trials. No wonder the father of China’s House Church, Wang Mingdao, described his 23 years and 10 months in prison to as a honeymoon with Jesus!

I’ve thought long about Stephen’s example in suffering. After declaring the works of God boldly to the Sanhedrin, even as they were picking up stones to kill him, the Bible says he saw the heavens opened before him and Jesus was standing at the right hand of the throne of God (Acts 7:56). We know the Bible clearly says that Jesus is supposed to be sitting while God makes all His enemies to become His footstool (Ps 110:1). And yet, He stood up for Stephen.

After all these years, I can say with much assurance that if you are granted to suffer or be persecuted for His sake, He will stand up for you, too. His grace will sustain you, and His glory will rest upon you. The heavens will be opened to you, and His presence will be tangible. You may even find yourself bubbling over with inexplicable joy. Although we can never be fully “armed” to suffer, I pray the testimonies of those who have gone before us as shining examples will give you confidence to endure whatever may come your way as we enter the “Last Days.”

“It is time to seek the Lord” Hos 10:12

In one sense, we are all responsive to the call to seek the Lord. If we get a message about some important event on the horizon, or a gathering or need that piques our interests, we are inclined towards dedicating some time to pray and give it our support. This is true because the Holy Spirit in us draws us and burdens us with things that pertain to His Kingdom’s advance.

That is not what this verse is about. Hosea is not suggesting something happened that we ought to be concerned about, or pray about. God was speaking through His servant to prophesy a decree of supreme importance. Trust me, there is a world of difference in saying it is a good time to seek the Lord and this is God’s appointed hour to seek Him. It is one thing for a friend or trusted co-worker to highlight important dates to us on his or her calendar. But what if God Himself is calling our attention to dates He has circled in red, penned with ink obtained from Calvary’s spill?

Consider the verse, “Seek the Lord while He may be found” (Is 55:6). Now, as a preacher I would never tell people that the Father is tied up with other things, so it would be better that they check back next month to see if He is available then. No church would hire me to be their pastor, that’s for sure! So what did Isaiah mean exactly? What does it mean to say God can’t be found? Does He wander off some times?

Of course we know God is available 24/7. We know He does not get distracted or overtaxed by the enormity and complexity of problems that arise in your life or mine…or on our planet…or in a hundred billion galaxies. And yet, like the sons of Issachar, men who understood the times, with knowledge of what Israel should do (1 Chr 12:32), we have to grasp this truth: Not every day is the same with the Lord. It is not that He is sometimes not available; it is that there are some times when He is more available. There are seasons when He leaves the door ajar. There are times when He has set the table of plenty before us and not just assured us with the promise that He will provide.

There are many ways scripture identifies this: there is the fullness of time (Gal 4:4), a set time (Mt 24:36), and an appointed time (Hab 2:3). Greek even has a word that distinguishes between calendar time (chronos) and a designated and special time (kairos). So the question that follows is: What kind of a time is this? Are we in one of those appointed times, a season when God is unusually and tangibly available to us?

Obviously, I cannot prove to you that this is a day of visitation. But I can appeal to you. I have spoken with several of God’s servants in recent weeks who have said that we have entered such a time as this (Es 4:14). They have exhorted me to press in and stay vigilant so as not to miss this moment in eternity. These words have strongly resonated with me because I feel a divine pull, a drawing—or to put it more colloquially, a suctioning. If Spurgeon, who coined the famous “hound of heaven” phrase, lived today, he might speak of the turning on of “the Dyson of Heaven” or of a “Kirby moment”.

These men have also admonished me to get clean. The follow up to Isaiah’s while He may be found prophesy is: “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous his thoughts” (Is 55:7). Wouldn’t you know, I got a message from my pastor this week telling me he had a dream about me. I was surrounded by filth, standing in line to take a bath. Ha! Not a very subtle message here!

That brings me back to where we started, in Hosea. The whole verse reads:

Sow for yourselves righteousness;
Reap in mercy;
Break up your fallow ground,
For it is time to seek the Lord,
Till He comes and rains righteousness on you. (v. 10:12)


Unlike precipitation in nature, where rain falls indiscriminately on the ground, God reveals a distinction in the Spirit. In the natural, the earth merely responds to the falling of rain. But in the Spirit, the ground attracts rain. In one, the condition of the soil is a non-factor. Dirt is passive. But in the other, what comes down out of Heaven is in direct response and proportion to the ground’s need and cry. The more we sow righteousness in our day to day affairs, the more righteousness will on that day be showered down upon us. The more we break up the hardened conditions of our hearts, the more a deluge of the grace and mercy of God will be abundantly poured out over us.

Beloved, if there has ever been a time to seek the Lord, it’s now.

“Arise, shine; for your light has come!” IS 60:1

I have been hearing numerous people I respect say the same thing: a glorious shift is taking place in the spirit. From a purely scriptural standpoint, this should be expected—or to put it another way, we should be expecting it. Please note there is a subtle yet important difference between these two responses. The first is passive; the second active. When two people get married, it is expected they will have babies some day. When they are pregnant, we say they are expecting. Ask them if there is a difference!

Isaiah illustrated this shift when he prophesied darkness would cover the earth and thick darkness the people. He continues…at the very same time the Lord will arise over us and His glory will be seen upon us. I think it is without a doubt that a significant blanket of darkness has begun to cover the earth. I interpret the first darkness reference to be external—in the world stuff. It could be COVID, riots, locusts, increased warmongering, intrigue or scandal, etc. Although it is common to interpret thick darkness as poetic, I believe it refers to the internal world—darkened understanding and/or blackened hearts which are falling prey to deceptive forces, becoming incapable of discerning truth or justice. Even blind Bartimaeus could see this is happening all around us!

We shouldn’t be alarmed and we certainly should not be caught unawares by this sudden turn of events. When darkness increases around us the Hound in our spirit picks up a scent. We apprehend glory can’t be far away. This is why these two months I keep coming back to the story of the wise and foolish virgins. According to the parable, the foolish virgins weren’t ungodly or corrupt. They were a part of the wedding party. They were virgins! Everything had been rehearsed. They were clear about what they were supposed to do, but they took too much for granted. They procrastinated. They had lost a sense of urgency and therefore lacked preparedness.

The wise virgins had oil—lots of it. Despite the late hour, when the Bridegroom arrived the “oil shops” seemed to be open 24/7. How else could the foolish virgins go out and buy in the middle of the night?! Jesus is revealing End-time truth: Holy Spirit is more available, more accessible now than He has ever been at any time in history. If glory came down in sprinkles in the past, the Spirit is saying get ready for the rain. The foolish virgins did not suffer from a lack of supply; they suffered because they were simply too casual and content with what they had.

As a pandemic and chaos highlight our news cycles, it is imperative we don’t miss the real story of what is happening in this hour. As usual, Satan doesn’t get it. He thought when the church’s doors closed we’d become vulnerable and weak. But something spontaneous and global is surging tsunami-like behind the scenes. If you have not seen it or learned of it yet, mark my words—you will! Trust me. I know people all over this planet are experiencing a marked increase in grace, Presence, intimacy, revelation—yes, in light and in glory.

Me too. I do not recall a time when I have had such rich and sustained morning devotions. The time just flies by, and I wake early because I look forward to get to the secret place. I am also waking each morning having spent my nights dreaming. This is new. Over my lifetime, I have always been one who hardly ever remembers his dreams. When others have talked about their dreams, I have always felt like an outsider. My curiosity led me to specifically seek God to grant me dreams on many, many occasions. Then something extraordinary happened. I went to minister at Heidi Baker’s Harvest School in Mozambique and had dreams every night. That was so cool!

Since then, I have dreamt more than I used to but still nothing too get excited about. But for the past two months I have been dreaming every night. I am discovering patterns and messages. Nearly all of my dreams have a China theme, for instance, and definitely includes me having conversations in Chinese.

Beloved, portals of power are being opened. The plumb line which we are seeing drop will divide people. What kind of virgin will you be? I for one do not want to be numbered among the foolish ones who were passive and ill-prepared. As thick darkness moves in to intimidate and distract, we will all be rewarded with more access to light and more manifestations of glory if we follow the example of the wise virgins—pressing in to God with sober, tender, and expecting hearts.

“For these seven rejoice to see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. They are the eyes of the Lord which scan to and fro throughout the whole earth.” Zech 4:10

As a young boy, I was around a lot of building projects. Though I couldn’t do much, I would carry things around the site, help hold a board, or a tool, or take measurements. Occasionally I got to pound some nails.

Sometimes I’d get to hold or check the plumb line. This simple yet remarkable instrument was used to make sure a vertical line was “true” or plumb. It was employed to make sure what you build up isn’t crooked: That as the structure grows taller it won’t topple, or resemble a Tower of Pizza (oops, Pisa).

The Holy Spirit inspired Zechariah (and Haggai, his contemporary) to prophesy to the children of Israel to take courage and rebuild the temple after they returned from the Babylonian captivity. As he does, his vision grows beyond their present predicament. He has much to say about the coming of the Messiah, and the End Times. Although Zerubbabel was the actual governor of Judah in Zechariah’s day, this reference clearly is a type of Jesus who famously had said “I will build my church”.

As Jesus builds up, He drops the plumb line. He is testing us. Are we well aligned? Can we bear weight? Will the floors above us stay straight, or lean, or worse yet, come crashing down?

As I was praying about the coronavirus, the Holy Spirit showed me that this is a separator, a plumb line. It is a test. God is watching, eyes scanning to and fro, to see who will respond in such a way that He can use them to continue to build His house to the next level. That some will not pass the test is becoming clearer by the day. For instance, if we are among those who are responding to this outbreak with fear, we are disqualifying ourselves. God is looking for faith (Lk 18:8). Some will be found to have had no oil in their lamps. We would all do well to “buy for yourselves” while we still can (Mt 25:9)!

As the plumb line drops, a separation occurs. Some will respond only by making God their refuge, appealing to Him for shelter, protection, and salvation. This is a DEFENSIVE posture. It may qualify people for Heaven, but it is not the high calling the Father has for His church, the Bride He is preparing for His Son. Every one of the seven churches of Revelation, even the weakest among them, was told the same thing: “To him that overcomes…” The Overcomer paradigm is OFFENSIVE in nature. This is the character of the church tried in the fires of persecution and tribulation. Jesus spoke about this separation many times, stating he who seeks to save his life (only), will lose it (Lk 17:33). But if you take a stand through trouble (lose your life) you are put into the camp of those who will not just make it into Heaven; you will qualify to battle for the King as an overcomer.

Many Christians have inherited a weak disposition because the emphasis of the message of the Church has been on what we are being saved from (Hell) rather than what we are being saved for (Kingdom). We have worked hard to get people saved, then fed them milk week after week. We’ve raised toddlers when God has been looking for warriors. If we are going to conform to the will of the King, we have to change our mindsets to be like Abraham’s. Though he had never seen warfare, in times of peace he trained all three hundred and eighteen servants in his household to fight (Gen 14:14). Though unlikely champions, these herders, gardeners, cooks and dishwashers defeated four fierce and experienced foreign armies in order to rescue Lot and his family.

God will have an End Time army. As the plumb line is dropped, a people through whom, upon whom He can build His Kingdom are arising. May we all be numbered among the Overcomers. Amen.

“David…escaped to the cave of Adullam” 1 Sam 22:1

Having to stay home for a few weeks isn’t so bad. 3,000 years ago David was involuntarily quarantined in a cave called Adullam. Now, a cave is not a very inviting or desirous habitation. The indoor plumbing is horrendous. The beds are rock hard. Even a 2-watt bulb would be cause for celebration. And your wife is definitely not going to like the kitchen. No Netflix.

Still, if you plan to be there for long, you ought to get over to Walmart to pick up a broom and a mop and a few supplies to make your cave a bit more homey. Put a few pictures up on the walls (if you can figure out how!). You shouldn’t have to walk far to pick a bouquet of wild flowers to cheer up a dark corner here or there. Make the best of it!

Oh yes, I almost forgot to mention. David also made the cave a place of hope. The stronghold he had run to for refuge was soon transformed into a spot where others sought refuge. This place where wandering travelers would duck in to relieve themselves (Saul!) quickly became a haven of relief. From the outside, David appeared as though he was a captive. In truth, he was being promoted to the rank of captain. Though stone pillows must have made sleep a struggle, his dreams carried him to a time when he would do great exploits through His God. The very same address you would never want to visit began taking in visitors—lots of them:

“Everyone who was in distress, everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him. So he became their captain.” 1 Sam 22:2

Before long, David had 400 roommates being trained to become a mighty fighting force. They came into the cave wounded. Healed, they left as warriors. They had encountered a man who had learned to rise above his circumstances, never be subject to them. When they entered the “halls” of this future king’s cliffside palace, they must have thought it cruelly dark and damp. But they soon discovered at least the acoustics were awesome!

How often did songs of praise and exalted worship dance off those walls and burst holes through the craggy ceilings right straight to the Heavens? We can’t say for sure, but at least we know morning after morning David would lead his motley congregation in worship. The title of Psalm 57 says David had penned these words from Adullam:

“My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast;
I will sing and give praise. Awake, my glory!
Awake, lute and harp! I will awaken the dawn.” vs. 7-8

It’s all a matter of perspective. David’s cave was a place of hope because he had made it a hall of worship. Men who were broken and bound found grace holed up in this grotto as they gleaned from this man whose heart was steadfastly fixed upon His Father and Friend. Their lockdown was the door to their future. Having conquered the cave, they emerged ready to stare down bigger enemies brandishing sword and spear.

God can use the cave if we will let Him. To many, the thought of being quarantined is depressing. But when you invite the God of David into your cave, picking up your lute and harp (or put on your iTunes) at the dawning of your day, it matters not what you are like when you come in; you will not be the same when you come out. Brothers and sisters, don’t struggle. Embrace your Adullam. Turn it into a place of worship. Recast it into a sanctuary of hope. As you awaken your song, God will awaken the warrior within. He is raising an army ready to take on darker days ahead. Our Captain is with us.

“Boaz went up to the gate and sat down.” Ruth 4:1

Cities don’t have walls anymore. We don’t have to pass through massive, guarded gates which are impenetrably barred at night, or in times of danger. People come and go at will, bringing with them their wares and their cares. There is no inspection, no questions asked. There may even be a big “welcome” sign.

We’d have to project ourselves back in time a millennia or more to fully grasp the importance of the gates of the city to the people in Bible times. That does not make the scriptures which mention gates irrelevant; it means we have to have comprehend their purpose then and apply it to our lives today. It also means if we fail to understand their meaning, we may inadvertently be making ourselves vulnerable—as vulnerable as a city in ancient times was if they had no walls or gates, leaving her citizens subject to attack, to their possessions being plundered, even to being forced into slavery be an evil power.

The first mention of possessing the gates of our enemies came as a promise to our father Abraham. The timing is important. As Abraham obeyed the Lord, the benefits of God’s covenant with him were progressively unlocked. First he was promised land. Then he was promised progeny. But here, after he had willingly offered his son Isaac, he is going to yarash (Heb), or occupy, seize that gates of his enemies (Gen 22:17). Abraham was being alerted that he would face conflict, and the result was he would not be ruled, rather he would exert power and influence over those who stood in his way.

So in a general sense, we see the direction God wants to take us in. He wants to bless us. He wants to multiply us. Then he wants to work through us to increase influence, to be in a position to make judgments and exercise leadership. But it is still not real clear who or what our enemies are. We don’t have Hittites or Philistines occupying the plains around us. There are no Jebusites entrenched for hundreds of years in our mountains. So what, or who are our enemies? And what are these so-called gates we are told to take possession of?

When we think of Biblical power, the image of a throne comes to mind. This was the age of kings. Their words became law. Their judgments were uncontested. They were worshiped. Taxes were levied to pay for the dreams they wanted fulfilled, and men were conscripted to fight their battles. Rivals were executed. For context, place King Ahasuerus on the throne reigning sovereign over 127 provinces from India to Ethiopia. Do you see a man standing next to him? His name is Haman, and he was like the Prime Minister.

As the story of Esther unfolds, another figure comes into focus. He has no position. He wears the cloak of a commoner. He comes from a minority, and persecuted class. And yet, he has power. You see, “Mordecai sat within the king’s gate” (Es 2:19). Every day. The longer he sat there, the more he heard, and his power grew. Even the king’s eunuch came out to meet him in front of the king’s gate (v.4:6). One day, the king sent Haman out to parade him through the streets adorned in his royal robes, and sitting upon the king’s steed. In time, Mordecai would influence the laws in the land. He even became Prime Minister.

Mordecai represents those of every generation who have learned the secret of possessing the gates of their enemies. He did not aspire to usurp the throne. He knew that thrones are in palaces, insulated from people, falsely elevating its occupants, poisoning their minds to exalted opinions of themselves and their powers. He understood that gates, when occupied, were powerful too. From there, he came to know the secrets of the palace, all while feeling the pain and concerns of the people—something the king never knew. He learned that decisions were a form of power; but he discovered intercession was every bit as powerful. Kings assume that people are ruled by laws and systems; Mordecai’s brilliance lay in that he understood people are even more impacted by ideas, and culture, and faith.

This brings us back to the question: What, or who are our enemies? Consider the example of Haman. Did he kill anybody? No. It was his ideas, his twisted, envious ideas which were being unleashed in an attempt to slaughter innocent Jews. Beloved, our battle is NOT with flesh and blood. Haman was only a puppet. Satan works not just to occupy thrones. He is after our gates. When the “gates of our city” are open to every kind of filth, perversion and darkness that proceeds from pernicious, greedy, and hate-filled people, when our values, faith and traditions are maligned and undermined, we are in fact under siege. If we do not rightly discern our enemies, how are we going to disarm them?

Beloved, God is speaking to us. As sons and daughters of Abraham, we have been called to possess the gates to which the enemy has falsely laid claim. If God had wanted Abraham’s descendants to occupy thrones, He would have said so. Instead, He said take your seats at the gates of every city. Rule from the place of superior ideas, of redemptive and compassionate culture, and by the influence of faith through which even mountains are rooted up and cast into the sea. I’ve never heard of a king who could do that!

“Be still and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations.
I will be exalted in the earth.”
PS 46:10

It’s amazing what a difference a week can make. Last weekend, my daughter woke up to tremors and snow-like ash falling outside her window in the Philippines from a nearby volcano. Meanwhile, the coronavirus has erupted too, spewing panic like poisonous ash on unsuspecting populations. Masks have dawned overnight like sandbags amassed to keep back swollen rivers. Sadly, these masks may be more effective in hiding their fears than keeping nanometer-sized bugs away. Once teeming cities of millions in China have become like ghost towns. Young and old, rich and poor now huddle behind feeble defenses hoping the flu won’t pompeii its way towards them.

The “be still and know” psalm begins with a fear-filled description of waters roaring, of mountains shaking and being carried into the seas. It reads like yesterday’s newspaper, and yet breathes hope into these chaotic events. I found myself yearning to enter a time machine, propelled back to the feet of David. I have a few questions I’d like to pepper at him:
     * How could you be confident when a whole army is encamped around you? (PS 27:2,3)
     * How could you sleep when 10,000 enemies were ready to attack you? (PS 3:5,6)
     * Did you really worship the Lord when “the pangs of death surrounded you? (PS 18:4)
     * What was it like when angels chased your persecutors? (PS 35:5,6)
     * Did you actually hear God laugh when evil plots were being made against you? (PS 2:4)
In times like these, we need to rediscover, if not encounter, the God of David!

PS 46 provides us with some rich insights into David’s mindset. Verses 1-2 says we need not fear because God is both our REFUGE and our STRENGTH, and a VERY present help in times of trouble. That He is our refuge addresses God’s commitment to harbor us, which means sheltering us from all harm as well as consoling us at the same time. As my refuge, I can run into him and escape from impending danger and close the doors to stalking terrors. That He becomes our strength speaks to the work that He does not only for and around us, but deep inside, a work of grace that fortifies and dignifies the inner sanctum of heart and soul. He is both Architect and Interior Designer, making sure outside and inside reflect his might and glory. Beloved, let us press in to discover He is both, our refuge and our strength.

Then he says something that defies language. We know God is omnipresent. That means He is always here; in fact, He’s always there too. He’s always present, but apparently He is more present at some times than He is at others! There are occasions when He is not just here, he is VERY here, and not just there, but VERY there. I’ve heard it described as the “manifest presence” of God. Words frankly don’t do justice to this reality. The important thing to grasp is that when times get really, really messy and impossible, God just shows up in some really, really powerful and personal ways. Knowing this, you might find yourself praying something like this: God, I know you’re present, but this is one of those times where I need you to be VERY present. HELP! He won’t disappoint.

Then David shares a secret to his success. Anyone who has been there knows that unlike many of the great cities of the world, Jerusalem has no Seine, or Thames, or Yangtze running through it. And yet it never lacks for water because there is a boundless supply bubbling up through springs from the ground. David’s declaration is that in the same way rivers run unseen in abundance to make the city of God joyful, rivers of the Holy Spirit are also surging through us as His people, enabling us to experience rapturous joy at all times. Beloved, every believer has access to this fountain, even as Jesus so beautifully illustrated when he stood and cried out in Jerusalem on the great day of one of her feasts:
“If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” John 7: 37-38
If only we could grasp the richness of the resource we have by the Holy Spirit who dwells within us! Fill us Lord! Fill my spouse! Fill my pastor, my friends, my neighbors! Spring up O well!

The final key to overcoming paralysis in the face of catastrophe is found in the well-known verse, “Be still and know that I am God”. In confusing times, it can be a real struggle to get “still” (this of the irony of the exhortation in Hebrews 4:11 “strive to enter that rest”) . Quieting the voices of doubt and anxiety is hard work. Tuning out the loudspeakers of tension and trepidation is a battle. Rising above the atmosphere that permeates the scene of a disaster is akin to walking through teargas riddled streets unaffected. And yet the Word calls us to stillness. It can be done! We have the stories of those who have done it as proof. Despite the raging forces of man, nature, or the Devil around us, we can be still, and in that quiet place we can see and know that God has us in His hands, and that He will not forsake us. It is in stillness we hear His voice above the clatter. In quietness and trust, we not only enter a fortress, we become one for those around us.

So one of the greatest weapons we have in our arsenal to strike shock into the hearts of our enemies is peace. I call it the “calm bomb”. When the heathen rock and reel in disastrous times, we are securely planted on the Rock that’s real. It’s the ultimate magnet, a gold-star witness to the fact that not only our faith, but our God is trustworthy and true. The results are extraordinary. When the world is shaking, when sky-scratching mountains begin to crumble, and with them the mountains of government and entertainment, finance and commerce in which man have trusted, when the world stumbles, we who were once reproached find ourselves standing in the shadow of the Daniels and the Stephens, indeed of the Cross itself, with the Spirit of glory and of God resting on us (1 PT 4:14). When the darkness seems deepest, He manifests His glory and presence on and in us. And in ways we cannot imagine, our stillness causes our God and King to be “exalted among the nations”.

“Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe.” Heb 12:28 (NIV)

“His Name shall be called Immanuel, which is translated ‘God with us’.”    Matt 1:23

I have had the privilege to travel to nearly forty nations on five continents. I have seen the brilliance and courage of humanity; I have also seen depravity and wantonness. I have seen blind indifference giving rise to massive greed and indulgence; I have also seen radical obedience to the Unseen Kingdom overflowing in generosity and sacrifice for others. I have seen chasms of despair; I have witnessed quintessential expressions of hope. Negative forces are at work irrespective of stable and benevolent governments. Religious belief often acts as a ameliorating balm; though at times has brought more fear than our worst recurring nightmares.

Christmas time reminds us that history has been decorated by a Force for good, a Progenitor of peace. But it must not be merely wrapped in traditions or trimmed with pithy greetings and good cheer. Though these may be as strings of lights adorning our mundane musings and interactions, it isn’t long before they are unplugged and put deep into closets and attics in anticipation of another day.

When realities of loss and disappointment, attacks and disasters come, and come they will, we cannot summon gift-bearing Santas fast enough, nor will bows and ribbons hide the truth that not all gifts we are given in life are endearing. Happiness is elusive. Pleasures are fleeting. We are perpetually being stalked by something. My intent is not to convey pessimism; rather, I am painting with broad strokes of candor. While the stage we have entered may have a backdrop of contradictions and props laced with thorns and thistles, we are not mere spectators awaiting the thrill and suspense of a cornucopian climax. The simple, and only reason that signals this story’s tree-star has been hung and a light has burst forth to drown out all darkness is the entrance of the Star: the One we have all been waiting for, the One who will grace the stage and transform every tragedy into a sugar plum saga of Joy-to-the-world dance and song. He does not make a guest appearance. He is not a part of the climax, he incarnates it.

He is called Immanuel. More than a title, this name reveals mission and ultimate purpose. While the name Jesus addressed the need of man (“He will save us from our sins”), and Christ pointed to the fulfillment of the hopes of mankind to finally have a King to rule and bring peace, harmony, and justice, when the angel announced He would be called Immanuel, nothing could have described the deepest longings, passions, and desires of every man more accurately.

Haggai prophesied another name of Immanuel which captures this mystery so conclusively. As he illustrates the irresistible nature of His attraction, he writes:

“and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations, and I will fill this temple (i.e. you and me) with glory.” Hag 2:7

Magis came afar from their palaces; shepherds came from among the lowly in nearby fields. Wherever I have gone among these many nations on multiple continents, I have discovered one thing which is common to all, which defines the quality of the existence of peoples from all tribes, tongues, and races. The cry in the heart of us all is not just for a God who solves my problems, or even who sits upon the throne over our worlds. More than a God “up there” who can deliver or preside, we long for the One who lives inside. We need more than help; we need companionship. We need more than a Savior; we need a Lover. At the most basic level, the very core of our being, we all need to know that God is with me, that He will not walk away when I am in trouble, that He will not leave me alone in my misery, my discouragements, or my defeats.

Whether we call him Immanuel, or the Desire of All Nations, may this message and reminder told year after year at Christmas be inked on your soul this New Year. My prayer? That “God with us” would truly and manifestly be “God with you”.

“The men of the city said to Elisha “…the water is bad, and the ground barren”…He went to the source of the water and cast salt there, and said…I have healed this water; from it there shall be no more death or barrenness.”  2 KG 2:19-21

Healing the water of a city which had been making people sick, even causing some to die, was the first of sixteen miracles performed by the prophet Elisha. Many which followed were like it and have left me with a deep impression, rising in my spirit to become a cry: Lord, in our day, I want more than prophetic “words” or prophetic “acts”. What I long to see is a prophetic generation arise in the spirit of Elisha whose “prophesies” are more than words and were not merely symbolic. Lives will be saved. Hearts will be changed. Impossible and tragic situations will be solved. The kinds of challenges we face in this hour don’t need to be temporarily bandaged and mitigated. V. 22 says “the water remains healed to this day.” The Elisha affect is practical and permanent.

One of the keys to understanding Elisha is “he went to the source”. While it is noble and caring to go to the city and pray for all those who were sick and dying because of the accursed water, Elisha did something much better. He healed the water itself. If you were to ask all of those people who were writhing in pain or stricken with a high fever which they would prefer, to get deathly ill and be healed or to never have gotten sick in the first place, which do you think they would choose? Which do you prefer? God help us! I don’t want to only contend for people to be healed. I want to believe God for the wisdom, power, and authority to heal at the source.

In recent years I have seen glimpses of what God has in mind. Elisha did not just provide money for the widow when she and her son were in desperation. The oil that filled all the jars she had gathered met her financial need into the distant future. Beloved, we can do much better than just give people a handout. We are called to empower them to truly live, not just to stay alive. When my daughter shared with me her call to rescue women being trafficked and enslaved in the horrific sex trade, I told her that I believed the Lord would have her to pray about not just rescuing a few; but to expose and take down the systems which control this entire industry over regions. Church, in these last days, we simply have to do better. It could be compared to stopping a haul of a thousand tons of cocaine at a nation’s border to trying to arrest hundreds of distributers spread out across a sea of cities.

By contrast, I feel the Church is often engaged in tactics which are weak and largely ineffective. While we should certainly honor and celebrate effort, and sacrifice, the hour has come for us to ask God for keys to unlock mysteries, to unveil supernatural wisdom, to direct our steps and give us access to the root causes of pain and injustice. Why should we spend so much effort to catch a gecko by the tail only to have it grow back a short time later. The promise given to us as the sons of Adam is that we would be head crushers. We need a download of Heaven’s strategies and the kind of courage whereby all the false prophets of the enemy holding people captive and blind over regions are (Mount) “Carmelized” and denuded overnight.

Some of these agents of change will not just be “prophets”, but slingshot-yielding “kings”. I met two such men in a period of one week. One was a governor whom God had given practical ideas which were dramatically lifting the quality of life of the citizens of his “kingdom” so that the people of all faiths and backgrounds recognized and celebrated his historic accomplishments. Another was a member of a Prime Minister’s cabinet responsible for two government departments. His ideas were equally brilliant, based upon these words which I will never forget. He said “most Christian ministries only deal with the symptoms of problems, the fallout felt at the foot of mountains, but God has called us to take the mountains and rule from its summits.” Touché! Where are the Calebs in our day who will cry out: “give me this mountain”, upon which the Word says definitively, “then the land had rest from war” (Jos 14:12,15).

These are the kinds of prophetic acts which Joseph performed, feeding mighty Egypt, even the surrounding nations, during an otherwise hopeless drought that had affected the entire Middle East in his day. This is the kind of prophetic action so marvelously displayed through the ministry of Elisha who directed Israel’s army to “make this valley full of ditches” (2 KG 3:16) after traveling through the desert areas for seven days during which neither army nor animals had had any water to drink. This seemingly strange solution not only slaked the Israelite army’s and animals’ thirsts when water suddenly filled the valley, the enemy mistook the water for blood when the sunrise’s reflection in the valley was deep red. A great victory ensued over the panicked and confused Moabite army.

Join me, beloved, in crying out to God for a mighty revelation. As much as we need Spirit-directed prophecies and prophetic acts to be done in this hour, may the mantle which was on Elisha to bring true and lasting transformation also rest upon us who have been promised that “greater works than these” should yet be performed. May it result in enlightened prophetic acts which don’t just scratch the surface of the complex and overwhelming quandaries of our day. Father, put salt in our hands. Show us how to heal the waters of cruelty and destruction. Yes, Lord, take us to the source.

“The LORD will repay every man for his righteousness and his loyalty. I wasn’t willing to lift my hand against the LORD’s anointed, even though the LORD handed you over to me today.” 1 Sam 26:23

The high road is seldom traveled. The low road, however, has been made into a virtual highway with signs, lights, and guardrails. The alternative high trail can be easily overlooked, if not looked on with suspicion. Few trudge the slower, thorn-ridden way, now rumored to be bandit infested and crossed by wild beasts. It’s old-fashioned, and stands in stark contrast to the paved and popular low road, which in time winds lower, and lower.

David took the high road. His spear-flinging and giddy adversary was in his hands not once, but twice. His companions encouraged the son of Jesse to do him in. His commander stepped aside to give David the “honor” of slaying his crazed pursuer. Who among the crowds would have questioned him, or considered such an act unworthy? One. Yes, One. There is One who stands unseen among the crowds, Who watches, Who points the way upward. Who has bivouacked the high road before us. Who notices. Who repays.

David’s acts and words inspire me. In this hour of instant gratification, of anxiously groping for the approval of men (“likes”), the high road of integrity and honor has indeed become overgrown. Rumor mongers speak of treachery along its heights. Those who hold to ideals are smugly discarded as idealists. Those who promote standards of excellence, like Joseph of old, are sold as dreamers. Those who mimic “when they go low, we go high” slogans start so low that high is just a bit higher than low, which is, in fact, not really high at all. The smirking hyena seems high to the slithering, fork-tonged serpent. Neither knows anything of the currents propelling the soaring eagle miles above their sunken gazes.

As promised, David was repayed. Granted, he lived in caves and in exile year after year first. He was maligned, despised, betrayed. Security, comfort, even food and sleep became like words of a foreign language. Not days. Not weeks. Not months. Years. By grace, through trust, David did not abandon his hope that righteousness and loyalty was being recorded, and would be rewarded. When tempted, prodded, enticed and applauded to choose the low road, David flinched not and looked high.

Did Saul of Kish deserve retribution? Most definitely. Did Saul of Tarsus deserve restoration? Most definitely not. How does one unknot this paradox? It depends, with whose eyes do I judge or justify? When standing there stone in hand, Who is there to ask the most pertinent question of all: Which one is going to be the first to let theirs fly? When others threw low, David looked high, which meant actually that he did not throw at all. His eyes had become fixed on the bruised and bloody One whose Words advocate for all men, everywhere, at all times:

“let him who is without sin…”
“the reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me…”
“forgive them, for they know not what they do…”

I have determined to stand by the way and search for the ancient paths. Though a thousand pass on my right and left and veer not from Broadway, sliding down to the lowlands, I have laden my pack with mountain gear, gritting my teeth to machete my way up to where the hinds are afoot upon the high road.

“God, the Lord, is my strength; He makes my feet like the deer’s; He makes me tread on my high places.” Hab 3:19