I spent most of the weekend in meetings. Normally a person would not be so delighted about working through the weekend, but I have to say, it was an incredible time of looking to the future and God’s plan for all of us. What God led me to do the previous week really prepared me to take a visionary look at where we are going! Despite all that I see wrong in the world I have the sense that I was born for a time such as this! Maybe I should back up…about forty years. There’s a reason I am not in shock over the condition of the world. Don’t get me wrong, as I look around at what’s happening in the world I am deeply troubled at the plight of mankind. I see many different groups who are struggling in various ways. I see the lost that have no hope in the coming world events apart from someone winning them to Jesus and teaching them to be a disciple. The group that may be the most disturbing is Christians who are not actually disciples. By and large they are good people, but they don’t really build their life on the model and teaching of the Lord Jesus. They struggle for victory in good times which makes me fear for how they will fare in times that require a heart that is open to following Jesus. Then I see the religious who have very opinionated ideas about how this is all going to unfold. Their religious paradigm will not allow them to prepare or even hear what God might try to say to them. I think these are the ones who will be most perplexed. They are religious, they may even live moral lives, but they are more committed to their traditions than to the Lord Jesus. They will feel that God has let them down when their ideas fall to the ground. People ruin their lives by their own foolishness and then are angry at the Lord. (Prov. 19:3) Then there are the disciples, those who are following God with their heart as much as they know how. I rejoice for them. They will follow God and know how to walk through whatever the times dish out! They are like the five wise virgins who keep oil in their lamp, ready for their Master’s return. They might not have had all the details but they were ready when He returned. I am not shocked by what I see around me. I am not surprised at the condition of the Church or the world. The Bible warned of these. Jesus made it very clear what the world and the religious community would be like as we approached these times. Because I was fortunate enough to have a good Bible education free from bias and dogma, I have been able to recognize the signs of the times. Forty years ago the Lord showed me what would befall the earth in our lifetime. It could have been frightening but like Daniel, who saw a horrible vision of terrible things to come, I didn’t close my eyes until I saw the end. Daniel kept looking until he saw a stone cut without human hands that would smash the beast and his followers. That stone would grow to fill the entire earth as the Kingdom of God. When you know how the story ends it is relatively easy to walk through the story! We know how this story ends! We have cause to rejoice in our God and His faithfulness! Two weeks ago I came home from our Friday Night Cyber Church service and felt compelled to read the Book of Enoch again. The Book of Enoch seems to be recognized by Jesus and is quoted in Jude. Much of the Christian world believes it to be inspired. It is actually a more detailed account of events in the Book of Genesis concerning Enoch, the great grandfather of Noah, and the father of Methuselah. I ate a quick bite, downloaded it on my Kindle, and settled in to read and contemplate. Three things consumed me as I read the Book of Enoch, and the greatness and majesty of God was first and foremost. I was immersed into a concept of God that is beyond my ability to grasp. The second thing was the ultimate triumph of the righteous. I felt and experienced the glory of victory for those who follow Jesus. I am feeling this victory in a new and exciting way! Sometimes we forget that in the end…we win. We not only win but we eternally inherit the Kingdom of God! Sin is defeated! Our King comes to reign. The third thing that jumped out at me was that the primary characteristics of Enoch and Noah were they walked with God. And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him. (Gen. 5:24) Enoch was supernaturally delivered from the fate of the world because he walked with God. Noah walked with God… (Gen. 6:9) Noah walked with God and he was the deliverer of the world and the preserver of the bloodline of Jesus. One man walked with God and was delivered and another man walked with God and was a deliverer! Either of those destinies would be an honor to embrace. In Jesus I think we can both have deliverance and be a deliverer! There are many things that we could do to face the world and turmoil it offers, but the main thing is to walk with God! In Jesus’ end-time parables it seems that the main thing we should do is stay true to God’s purpose. We do not want to lose our perspective through the love of the world, selfishness, or fear. We maintain our healthy perspective of all things as we walk with Him and maintain an eternal focus. That’s why you are a World Changer, and that’s why I give my life to preach this message to the world: we are about the Father’s business! We are the living fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy! We are preaching the Gospel of Peace so the world can see God as He is and then they will turn to Him. (Is. 52:6-7) Fortunately, we don’t really need to figure out all the details for this to work. We don’t need to focus on the world and we don’t need to fight the world. We need to keep our hearts open and sensitive to Jesus. We need to lay aside any and every weight that would distract us from Him and His purposes. We should continue to live for His purposes… We should walk with God! We will be delivered and we will be a deliverer for others. Let me encourage you to read your Bible like you’ve never read it before. Every time you open those pages ask the Holy Spirit to show you how to apply the truth of God’s Word to your life. Pray for boldness to love and minister to the people around you. Be quick to follow the leading of the Lord. Put aside anything that interferes with your relationship with Jesus. Keep your heart soft and pliable in His presence! Live every day as one who is looking for the Master’s return! Together we will not only continue but multiply our efforts to be about the Father’s business! We will continue to start new Bible Schools through Operation One Billion. Already this year we have commitments to start one hundred new Bible Schools and I’m sure as the year goes by that number will increase. I am considering having another National Day of Blessing, but this time we are doing the ground work to involve one million believers. We will publish new books, send materials around the world, evangelize the lost, educate the believer, and heal those who are wounded. Plus, we have several new aspects of Operation One Billion that we will share in upcoming months. Together we will continue to change the way the world sees God!
