Invitation

Jesus has a brilliant plan. It has been written out for thousands of years, the knowledge of it has been available all along, but understanding is being released now. This is the time of the unsealing of the prophetic book:


Daniel 12:4 “But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.”


Revelation 10:4 Now when the seven thunders uttered their voices, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, “Seal up the things which the seven thunders uttered, and do not write them.”


What John and Daniel heard but could not understand is what is being released in THIS generation. This is a sign of the times. Understanding comes as God's people...the Bride... matures. The Bride matures as the Word and the Spirit come together. Right now, the Holy Spirit is breathing on the Word, all are invited to "come and see." This is an invitation to the generation that sees the "new song" ...the night and day worshiping Bride... come together in the preparation of judgment:


Psalms 66:1-5 Make a joyful shout to God, all the earth! Sing out the honor of His name; Make His praise glorious (this is the end time worship movement). Say to God, “How awesome are Your works! Through the greatness of Your power Your enemies shall submit themselves to You (preparing for Revelation). All the earth shall worship You And sing praises to You; They shall sing praises to Your name.” Selah COME AND SEE (emphasis mine) the works of God; He is awesome in His doing toward the sons of men.


Throughout the Bible, God's plans are quite clear: the great and terrible day of the Lord. This is God's plan to reach the most people, at the deepest heart level, with the least intense means, without ever violating free will. This is the refiner's fire. What takes place in the heart of God's people is also appointed to happen in the earth. The wheat and the tares mature together, and Jesus promised at the time of the harvest they will be separated.


Matthew 13:30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.” ’ ”


Refining burns off the impurities from a precious metal. People are the most precious thing to God. The Father loves us like He loves His own Son. God loves us, like God loves God. We are invited into the fellowship of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit:


John 17:23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them AS YOU HAVE LOVED ME (emphasis mine).


But, refining is essential. The judgments of Revelation are designed to separate the wheat from the tares. The judgments in Revelation are organized and written out in advance. A study of them demonstrates Jesus' intention to remove his hand of restraint first from the humanistic and desolating plans of the antichrist (the seal judgments). many will repent during this time, then, as the more resistant hearts get closer to the end of their option to repent, Jesus will "turn up the heat" of the refiners fire (the trumpet judgments, then the bowl judgments).


As intense as this may seem, it is the love of God that the judgments are released, for the judgments are far less severe than an eternal separation from God. A victorious worshiping prophetic Bride...the Church...will be a faithful witness of who Jesus is to a world enduring judgment, bringing in the great harvest with love and truth! Glory!


The prophet Zephaniah was given insight into this period of time. He said the daughter of Israel (the dispersed nation)...the worshiping Bride praying in "one accord," just like the 120 in the upper room... will bring in the great harvest:


Zephaniah 3:9-10 “For then I will restore to the peoples a pure language, That they all may call on the name of the Lord , To serve Him with one accord. From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia My worshipers, The daughter of My dispersed ones, Shall bring My offering.


This IS what God is calling my city to: a forerunner...a first fruit... of the Bride operating in one accord...night and day worship joined by every stream of the Bible-believing bride.


It is clear this is happening in my town. Many are starting to see it. Someone asked me this morning "why Kalamazoo." The Holy Spirit brought me the answer almost instantly:


Zephaniah 3:6-7 “I have cut off nations, Their fortresses are devastated; I have made their streets desolate, With none passing by. Their cities are destroyed; There is no one, no inhabitant. I said, ‘Surely you will fear Me, You will receive instruction’— So that her dwelling would not be cut off, Despite everything for which I punished her. But they rose early and corrupted all their deeds.


This is an end-time prophecy for the whole earth. MANY cities will be desolate. Kalamazoo lies between two of the largest and most murderous and corrupt cities in the world (no offense to the neighboring metro areas. This is statistics, not opinion). But God has a plan to establish cities of refuge nearby. Cities where God's people will be led in advance. Bundles of gathered wheat...precious metal which has been refined...areas of safety and refuge growing larger and larger as the harvest is gathered out of the large metropolitan areas. This model has been established numerous times in the Bible. Consider the destruction of Sodom:


Genesis 19:15-22 When the morning dawned, the angels urged Lot to hurry, saying, “Arise, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the punishment of the city.” And while he lingered, the men took hold of his hand, his wife’s hand, and the hands of his two daughters, the Lord being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city. So it came to pass, when they had brought them outside, that he said, “Escape for your life! Do not look behind you nor stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains, lest you be destroyed.” Then Lot said to them, “Please, no, my lords! Indeed now, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have increased your mercy which you have shown me by saving my life; but I cannot escape to the mountains, lest some evil overtake me and I die. See now, this city is near enough to flee to, and it is a little one; please let me escape there ( is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live.” And he said to him, “See, I have favored you concerning this thing also, in that I will not overthrow this city for which you have spoken. Hurry, escape there. For I cannot do anything until you arrive there.” Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.

This is a prophetic invitation to every location. Pockets of agreement in the cities, as well as every small and rural area. Lot chose his city of refuge. If God could have found even 10 people in Sodom in agreement with Him, He promised to spare the whole city! But He couldn't, so He moved Lot to a city of refuge. We can choose how our city responds to the coming storm. All prophecy is an invitation. An invitation requires an RSVP...a response. I say yes, Lord! How many will it take to bless all of SW Michigan? I intend to find out. Show me how to live out the yes in my heart.