The United States – Rocking the Role
Tumultuous and perilous times are ahead for the United States in 2008.
Her role as leader of the free world will be challenged, but will
persist. Everything that can be shaken will be shaken. Only those with
their feet firmly planted on the ‘Rock’ will be able to stand during
these times.
Matthew 7:24-25 will be a key verse for survival and advancement during
this coming year, "Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and
does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the
rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and
beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the
rock.”
America has always been a ‘can-do’ and task-oriented society. This has
been a key component in making this nation great. However, the Church
has become a spectator culture. The predominance of teaching ministry in
America has helped us to be familiar with God’s Word, but there is a
growing gap between the talkers and the doers.
If the Church does not shift from talking, as opposed to doing, there will
be significant decline throughout 2008.
America’s
future does not depend on her powerful military, economy or political
system; it depends on the goodness of her people, and that depends on
the strength of the Church. If America declines, then western
civilization will also decline, and we surrender our future to the
forced and austere beliefs of Jihadists.
* Pray
that the Church in America will reactivate, navigate, and not capitulate
throughout 2008.
The Presidential Election – ‘The Last Chance Saloon’
A nation always gets the government it deserves! The dichotomy of
American politics leading up to the presidential elections will descend
into a diatribe of division, dangerously pushing America toward a
precipice of decline (Luke 11:17, "...Every kingdom divided against
itself is brought to desolation, and a house divided against a house
falls.").
The push by the Clintons to get back into the White House will result in
Hillary’s nomination by the Democrats, but great exposures of ‘dastardly
doings in high places’ will awaken the giant of the sleeping Church at
the last moment, and a man of righteousness will be elected.
This will be America’s ‘last chance saloon’! It will be God’s final call
to repentance. As He spared Nineveh, He will spare America. But if
America does not turn back to God, judgment will be released undiluted.
* Pray
for national repentance from the White House to the church house and for
righteousness to prevail in our nation.
The Church – The Distraction of Busy-ness
Distraction and busy-ness will rise to untold heights in the coming
year, both in leadership and in congregations, as the enemy endeavors to
neutralize the Church’s effectiveness in the same way he tried to
discredit it with major moral failures during the eighties and nineties.
In the year ahead, those who have stood their ground and passed the
test, despite opposition from man and satan, will come to a point of
breakthrough. This will be especially true of those whose pure motives
have been misunderstood by a religious system that misguidedly believes
it is serving God.
The greater the trial, the greater the witness! Those who persist will
break through into levels of spiritual authority not previously
contemplated.
The Church will explode in those nations experiencing persecution. It
will continue to dwindle in comfortable nations. Saints from the south
will lead the Church world-wide out of the wilderness of western
materialism and godless ideologies.
* Pray
that the Church will stay focused on its primary mission – to make
disciples of all nations.
Israel – It’s All About Jerusalem!
It’s all about Jerusalem! For years, we have been saying that
increasingly the world’s focus will be on the Middle East, specifically
Israel and, even more specifically, Jerusalem. Finally, the fate of the
world will be decided by what happens to the status of a small piece of
real estate in the heart of Jerusalem – the Temple Mount.
Pressure will continue from governments around the world, spearheaded by
the United States, to divide the city so the Palestinians can establish
the capitol of a future state in the sector of the city that Israel
captured from Jordan in the 1967 war in the Mideast.
Pressure from within and without Israel to court appeasement will
backfire on those applying it in 2008. This will result in the removal
of the present leader of Israel and we will see Benjamin Netanyahu rise to be Israel’s Prime Minister a second time.
Ancient territorial spirits, such as the Prince of Persia (modern day
Iran), will continue to push an age-old agenda, namely to destroy God’s
chosen people. These spirits have new names, such as anti-Semitism, but
the agenda is the same as it was in Daniel and Esther’s day – destroy
the Jews.
* Pray that
America’s leaders will not pursue the division of God’s boundaries
concerning Israel.
Israel and the Church – The One New Man
Around 500 BC, the Jews returned to Jerusalem from exile in Babylon, but
they had problems. The Lord gave Zechariah visions to help the people
overcome these problems. Among them was the vision of the lampstand and
the two olive trees.
“Then I asked the
angel, ‘What about the olive trees on each side of the lampstand? What
do they represent? And what is the meaning of the two branches from
which golden olive oil flows through the two gold pipes?’ ‘Don’t you
know?’ he asked. ‘No sir, I don’t,’ was my answer. Then he told me,
‘These branches are the two chosen leaders (anointed ones) who stand
beside the Lord of all the earth’” (Zech. 4:11-14).
The vision primarily refers to Joshua, the high priest, and Zerubbabel,
the civic leader. The golden lampstand is a reference to Jerusalem.
However, prophecy is seldom wasted on one incident in time. The
understanding of who the two olive trees represented in a broader
prophetic sense was hidden from the Old Testament prophets; it was a
mystery yet to unfold.
After rejecting Christ, Israel lost its Promised Land again and was
scattered over many nations. Even though Israel has been returning to
the land that God gave it since 1948, it is still groping for its
purpose.
1 Corinthians 15:46 says, "However, the spiritual is not first, but the
natural; then the spiritual." What is taking place in the natural is a
forerunner and prophecy of what is about to take place in the spiritual
realm.
The Church has failed in that most of its history is filled with
division and church splits, resulting in thousands of denominations.
But, just like Israel in the natural, the Church is returning to its
purpose, which is linked to the hidden mystery of Zechariah’s vision.
God has chosen two instruments to bring about the redemption of the
world! They are the Church and Israel! They are the two olive trees!
However, we are not about to enter a time when we return to the Jews
being central to God’s plan, but rather, an unprecedented time of Jew
and Gentile being joined together in purpose.
In 2008, we will witness a major shift – the Jews, the natural seed of
Abraham, and the Church, the spiritual seed of Abraham, becoming the
"one new man" Paul wrote about in Ephesians 2:14-16.
* Pray that
God will hasten the advance of this next phase of His Kingdom.
The Wheat and the Tares – Harvest Now!
In Matthew 13:24-30, the kingdom of heaven is composed of wheat and
tares that don’t distinguish themselves until harvest time.
The Kingdom of God must be distinguished from the ‘kingdom of heaven.’
The latter refers to anything that calls itself ‘Christian,’ true or
false; the former refers to God’s true Kingdom, composed and held
together by the Spirit of Truth. It has nothing to do with religious
institutions and organizations, but is a living organism that grows from
generation to generation.
The earth is now ripe for harvest! "…Harvest earth’s vineyard. The
grapes are bursting with ripeness" (Rev. 14:18).
During 2008, we will see a clear separation between the true and false
Church. In the United States, denominational acceptance of active
homosexuality among clergy will be the dividing line. This is part of
the preparation for bringing in the greatest harvest of all time.
* Pray that
the Lord will release an army of laborers into the harvest during 2008.
Look for the Signs
God will continue to speak through the mouths of the prophets, but
in 2008, more and more He will leave His marks, warnings and signs that
will only be discernable to those with spiritual ears to hear (Rev. 2:7, "He who
has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.").
The amazing parallel between Israel and the Minnesota bridge collapse is
one example of what is to come (for details, go to:
http://www.firepowerint.com/MinnesotaBridgeCollapse.htm).
The End of the Matter
My verse for the coming year is Isaiah 60:2, "For behold, the darkness
shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; but the Lord will
arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you."
It speaks of a time when the world system is descending, but God’s
Kingdom is on the rise! This will typify 2008 more than anything else.
Make sure you are part of the King’s dominion, "...for His dominion is
an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom is from generation to
generation" (Daniel 4:34).
#
