End Time Prophetic Vision

11-29-99
Life has been compared to a journey. Each journey will have two elements: first; a place to beginning, known as the origin; second, a destination, the place where you plan on arriving. The Apostle Paul describes our Christian journey as a race in which the runner must finish the course. “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.” (2 Timothy 4:7-8)

Someone has said, “it does not matter how you start the race, what truly matters is how you finis!” While there is some truth to this statement, the word of God teaches us that how we run the race is also very important. “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. And everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable, Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air.” (1 Corinthians 9:24-26)

Taking The Low Road

The Apostle Paul’s life gives us great insight into not only how to finish the course, but how to start and run the race. The starting line for Paul was his conversion on the road to Damascus.“ And as he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting “Me?” (Acts 9:3-4).

Prideful Saul the Pharisee had gotten on his high horse to bring down the fledgling Church of Christ. But his encounter with Christ literally brought him down to earth. He discovered the low road which brings us to God’s higher ways. Paul’s experience with the loving Lord Jesus completely changed his life forever! This will always be the result for people who have their beginning in Christ Jesus. “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

The Pathway of Humility

In Paul’s early Christian walk we hear him describe himself as “not at all inferior to the most eminent apostles” (2 Corinthians 11:5). A few short years later he described himself as “the very least of all saints” (Ephesians 3:8). Yet father on down the pathway of humility, which is Christian maturity, Paul again redefines himself, “This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.” (1 Timothy 1:15). Paul’s perception of himself shrank from an eminent apostle to chief of sinners. In this , Paul reveals to each believer the secret of staying on course - learning to walk in true humility.

Paul was in no way belittling himself or being influenced by an evil, deceptive spirit to devalue who he was. No, this a man led by the Holy Spirit to understand that the closer we walk to the Lord, the more we realize just how much grace has been given us. Paul knew the key to successful Christian living was found in total dependence on Jesus. “ I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20)

On the pathway of humility, each believer learns the truth of these words of John the Baptist, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:39). The only way for Jesus to become more in our lives is for us to die to self- becoming less that He might be more. There will come the day when the conference meeting is over that no one leaves the building talking about , how wonderful, the brother that preached was nor how great the person that sang is, everyone will be talking about “JESUS”!

As we travel along this pathway, we are not to let our past failures bog us down, nor become complacently content to stay where we are. We are to press on until we reach the prize of being conformed into the very image of Christ. “Brother, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:13-14).

As we travel along this pathway, it is comforting to know we are not alone, and that the Lord has make provision for our journey. Let’s look at some of the provisions He has made for us:

1. The Good Shepherd always goes before us on the journey. We never have to travel along this pathway alone. “For He Himself has said, I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5).

Even if we stumble and fall, Christ is always there to pick us up and help us continue life’s journey.

2. We have a tour guide along this journey- the Holy Spirit. “But when He, the Spirit of Truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth, He will not speak on His own; He will speak only what He hears, and He will tell you what is yet to come.” (John 16:13).

3. God has not only given us a tour guide, but the guide book which maps out the way- the Bible. Let us not neglect the word of God, but do as Paul says, “holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain”.(Philippians 2:16). Even when the course we run becomes difficult to see, The Scriptures will enlighten the path before us. “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. (Psalm 119:105) We have a very bright light to shine upon is each step of our way. We do not need to stumble in the darkness of deception and doubt, it is time to walk in the Light as He is in the Light.

4. We are not traveling upon some secret, hidden path, but a well- traveled road. Many faithful saints have gone this way before us. “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” (Hebrews 12:1).

Let us say on His well-traveled road, even if it means we must backtrack from some detour we have taken or jump over some obstacle that is blocking the way. “But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received fro the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.” (Acts 20:24). As we finish the course, breaking the tape at the finish line, we will hear the voice of the Lord say “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:21). Hearing these words from the lips of our Lord should be the goal of each and every believer.

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12-2-99
There is coming a world-wide youth revival, the Spirit of God will release such “passion” for the presence of the Lord. This coming awakening will sweep across the earth, like a wild fire, nothing will be able to stop, nor stand in the way. These youth will be filled with resolve and vision of the harvest, they will be bound together with cords of love and faith, that can not be broken. They will gather together in mass gatherings, in different areas of the world, in some of these meetings there will be up to half million young people. These meetings will not be organized by man, they will be directed by the Spirit of God. This will be a time of release of such power from the throne of God. Signs and wonders will be happening on a level not experienced in the Church until now. This will be the normal Christian life for these end-time warriors. They will not look like we think they should look, they will not talk like we think they should talk, however the presence and power of God’s Holy Spirit will be upon them. In this radical band of believers there will be no racism, boys and girls will share in leadership. There will be a unity that will astound the Body of Christ. Soon it will be evident to all why the enemy has attempted to kill this generation. He has somehow seen this emerging end-time army. They will be willing to die for what they believe. It has been hard to get my generation to live for what they say they believe in, however this end-time generation will be ready and willing to lay their lives down for the cause of Christ. There will be camps where these youth come together for training and preparation.

It will be the wise pastor and people who will now begin to help prepare for the training of these leaders. Do not be afraid to open your homes and Churches to these young people. It is time now to began to make preparations for their training, and equipping. Many of the leaders in the Church will now spend most of their time helping train and prepare these coming leaders, they will find it necessity to pour their lives into these youth. These youth will began to come together this year (2000) and by the year 2002 they will be on the move. Their message will be the words of Micah 3:8 “But as for me, I am filled with power, with the Spirit of the LORD, and with justice and might, to declare to Jacob his transgression, to Israel his sin.” (NIV)

The Spirit of God is releasing a urgency in the hearts of the true intercessors to begin to pray for these youth on a new level. None of us can truly finish our course if we have not helped the next generation to accomplish more than we have.