I got a phone call from a friend yesterday. One who I have known for many years. He and I were trained under Pastor Dan Rothwell. Peter Mehl was part of that time. We were good AG men of God. Yet as time has gone on I have come to recognize a demonic scheme to sideline people of power to cause them to be ineffective for Kingdom Expansion. Some of that even existed then.
As a prophet, I rely on the written word of God as it is brought to life by the Spirit. I rely on the voice of God speaking to me (inaudible). I rely on the prophetic input from trusted prophets that have proven themselves for decades. I know what I believe and some things that are in the atmosphere are untrue. Some of what is passing itself for the prophetic is Bandwagon Prophecy. The idea that if everyone believes this and is buying into it, it must be true. I don't do bandwagons. If you are looking for someone to reinforce the latest prophetic fad, I'm not your prophet. I only say what God says, not some book, some sensationalist TV program, some internet site, some magazine is promoting. They make great conference speakers, sell a lot of books and capture people's imaginations. They are not my source. They should not be yours either.
If I were the devil and I wanted to hobble the Body of Christ to ineffectiveness on the earth today, here's what I would do:
I would get scriptural evidence to propound a lie of fear. If it succeeds it would cause people to draw back, to freeze up, to become paranoid, to hide out. OH, I could find lots of well meaning Christian leaders to advance the theories, always in the future. Always with dire consequence or GREAT reward.. but just not now.
I would divert Christian's attentions from building the Kingdom to looking for devious schemes, secret associations, antichrists, temples, calves, plots, strategies that would either protect them from harm or offer untold riches. Either would do.
I would preoccupy Christians with meaningless activity. Sports, Entertainment, Pop Music, Politics and dozens of other things that eat huge amounts of time and energy with no effect. If they invested themselves in Kingdom building with the same energy it would be really dangerous to the devil.
I would cause them to engage in Quixotic battles in protest of supposed wrongs and error in the culture while not facing the reality of what I (the devil) am really doing.
I would create false hopes and false fears to keep Christians out of the arena.
I would emphasize faith over action. Spend much time in group prayer and little time in group action. The idea that a Christian is part of the answer to every prayer they pray will be disempowered.
I would create all kinds of signs that people get excited about while neutralizing the capacity for the true Sons of Issachar to speak up. "From the tribe of Issachar, there were 200 leaders of the tribe with their relatives. All these men understood the signs of the times and knew the best course for Israel to take." 1 Chronicles 12:32 Those who are able to see and hear what is happening in the culture will be set aside for the sensational.
These things take a lot of forms in our Christian Culture. I don't attack any one of these, but I speak to the cumulative effect of all of them. They have succeeded in taking Christians off the battlefield and onto the sidelines.
Here is a list.. you may be able to add to this: Rapture, Millennial Reign, Left Behind, Blood Moons and the Shemitah, The Harbinger, Why the rapture will happen in 1988..(it didn't), Why the world will end in 2000 (It didn't), Harold Camping end of the world 1994 and 2011 (it didn't), the Revaluation of all Currencies any day now, The Revaluation of the Dinar, Dong, Zim and a dozen other worthless pieces of paper (this is insidious because it creates hope in nothing and makes the heart sick), and all the end time stuff, the Masons, the Illuminati, Aliens and a hundred other mindless conspiracy theories.
To be clear, I love a good conspiracy theory as much as anyone else. Entertaining stuff. YET.. the reality is there is nothing that surprises Father. They are a waste of time to the Christian.
There is enough trouble for today, we don't need to bother tomorrow for some of it's trouble. There is a lot of pain and suffering in the world. IF those beheaded by Isis will sit in judgement of us someday as the Bible says, how will we measure up?
The real problem with all this is it takes away from the mission and mandate. Nations, Disciples, Kingdom. It's interesting that the last words of Jesus in Great Commission lines up with what the Word of God says he taught in His last days on earth, "Concerning the Kingdom".
There will come a day of trouble in our national, even global, life. I have written on what that will look like. You won't be able to avoid it. Money won't help. Think of the Christians in Mosul, some crucified by ISIS .. they had money. Now they are dead or refugees. Your only hope is to trust GOD for your provision. Your relationship with HIM and with others around you will be your only currency in that day. This is not the GREAT tribulation, but a great tribulation.
My friend, who I mentioned above, deals with people who invest a lot of money. He told me that many good Christians of wealth are very frightened because of all the dire prophecies. They are wanting to take their money out of investments. They want to hide. To not grow. To protect. To draw back. Same it true of Rapture Ready folks.. they are ready for nothing. Useless on the Battlefield.
We were to run to the Battle, not draw back as some do. You can't do that if you are in constant fear.
Stop the Fear.. Jesus said that to the Disciples on the Boat when he woke up in the storm.
He is up again and saying STOP THE FEAR.
I'm guessing you can quote me much from the word of God to support or oppose the truth of what I have just written. I don't want to argue. I just want you to stop being terrified. Don't let anyone push you around spiritually "Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath." Colossians 2:16
God has NOT given you a spirit of Fear.. that comes from down below. FEAR NOT..for I am with you.. He either is and your believe Him or you doubt Him and and you will faint when it comes.
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