The Day of the Lord
The most amazing thing is happening in the earth right now. This was spoken of by the prophets thousands of years ago, Jesus spoke of it. Paul, John, Peter...and we are the ones who are actually seeing it come to pass.
Malachi called it the "great and dreadful" day of the Lord. It is the time of great increase in the agreement of understanding between God and His people (the "great" part) and a consolidation of the ranks of those not loyal to Jesus (the "dreadful") part. This is literally happening before our eyes. Discernment is very important in this time, because it is not all good or all bad.
The world isn't entering a time of complete destruction, or a time of widespread revival. It is entering a time of the greatest division between light and dark it has ever seen...it is entering a time of unprecedented INTENSITY. This is the time of harvest, when the wheat AND the tares...sin and righteousness...mature to fullness. This is the time of the "fire" Jesus set ablaze at Pentecost consuming the entire globe:
Luke 12:49-51 “I came to send fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am till it is accomplished! Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather division.
The division Jesus spoke of revolves around who He is, and what He is doing. The Pharisees and religious leaders of His day liked a controllable God...one they could direct and speak for to maintain their positions. Jesus was nothing like they had imagined Him to be, and they completely missed the one they claimed to represent. This is what Jesus said:
John 5:39-43 You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life. “I do not receive honor from men. But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you. I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive.
Jesus is coming...quite soon. Many have formed an idea in their minds, based on tradition, denominational stands, and conversations around the dinner table about what Jesus will and will not do in this time. Maybe it was a Left Behind book, or a TV preacher with a big graph and timeline that has formed your idea of who Jesus is and how He is going to come back. Whatever it is that has formed your ideas, it is important right now to identify where your ideas came from and whether or not they agree with the words the prophets, Jesus, and those who knew Him, spoke.
People will argue endlessly about the "symbolism" behind every word Jesus spoke, but Jesus actually stated quite plainly what He is going to do, how He is going to do it, and why He is going to do it. Jesus' plan is not symbolic. His plan is incredibly intense. Because we don't like the idea of the intensity, WE make the plan symbolic to explain it away or water it down. This is not symbolic:
Isaiah 24:1-15 Behold, the Lord makes the earth empty and makes it waste, Distorts its surface And scatters abroad its inhabitants. And it shall be: As with the people, so with the priest; As with the servant, so with his master; As with the maid, so with her mistress; As with the buyer, so with the seller; As with the lender, so with the borrower; As with the creditor, so with the debtor. The land shall be entirely emptied and utterly plundered, For the Lord has spoken this word. The earth mourns and fades away, The world languishes and fades away; The haughty people of the earth languish. The earth is also defiled under its inhabitants, Because they have transgressed the laws, Changed the ordinance, Broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore the curse has devoured the earth, And those who dwell in it are desolate. Therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, And few men are left. The new wine fails, the vine languishes, All the merry-hearted sigh. The mirth of the tambourine ceases, The noise of the jubilant ends, The joy of the harp ceases. They shall not drink wine with a song; Strong drink is bitter to those who drink it. The city of confusion is broken down; Every house is shut up, so that none may go in. There is a cry for wine in the streets, All joy is darkened, The mirth of the land is gone. In the city desolation is left, And the gate is stricken with destruction. When it shall be thus in the midst of the land among the people, It shall be like the shaking of an olive tree, Like the gleaning of grapes when the vintage is done....
(And HERE is the "division" Jesus spoke of:)
...They shall lift up their voice, they shall sing; For the majesty of the Lord They shall cry aloud from the sea. Therefore glorify the Lord in the dawning light, The name of the Lord God of Israel in the coastlands of the sea.
In the middle of the height of devastation of EVERY NATION (yes, America is in the Bible...more than many realize) of the earth, there will be pockets of song...cities of refuge...geographic places where God's people have actually responded to the call of the Lord to repent (agree with God) and come together in one accord. This is how the NIV states it:
Isaiah 24:13 So will it be on the earth and among the nations, as when an olive tree is beaten, or as when gleanings are left after the grape harvest.
But, I like the Good News version:
Isaiah 24:13 This is what will happen in every nation all over the world. It will be like the end of harvest, when the olives have been beaten off every tree and the last grapes picked from the vines.
So what is this remnant singing about? If the whole earth is devastated, why the song?
Isaiah 30:29-32. You shall have a song As in the night when a holy festival is kept, And gladness of heart as when one goes with a flute, To come into the mountain of the Lord , To the Mighty One of Israel. The Lord will cause His glorious voice to be heard, And show the descent of His arm, With the indignation of His anger And the flame of a devouring fire, With scattering, tempest, and hailstones. For through the voice of the Lord Assyria will be beaten down, As He strikes with the rod. And in every place where the staff of punishment passes, Which the Lord lays on him, It will be with tambourines and harps; And in battles of brandishing He will fight with it.
The song is the people of God agreeing with Jesus about love. It is night and day prayer set to music (worship) that Jesus would release the fullness of His plan, because the intensity of the plan forces the choice that will redeem many.
This is love: to allow people to see the consequences of a choice to try to live life apart from the Source of Life before that choice is permanent. Jesus wants people to face this choice, all the while witnessing the love, joy, and power expressed by those on earth living in agreement with the source of life...this is an INTENSE division between light and dark.
It is Jesus' plan to give everyone what they have chosen. Those who have chosen Him will have His spirit poured out on them in geographic areas of protection...cities of refuge...lands of Goshen...in such a remarkable way that Jesus' people will literally do greater things than He did...walking on water, raising the dead, multiplying food...no disease will stand against their words uttered in Jesus' name. But for those who choose life apart from the source of life, utter destruction, calamity, and terror will fall. Both groups will be present on earth through the whole process...in every nation there will be both dynamics happening.
This is because Jesus desires to make a difference between His people, and those who are rejecting Him:
Exodus 8:23 I will make a difference between My people and your people. Tomorrow this sign shall be.” ’ ”
Jesus' plan, laid out in the Book of Revelation, is the least intense means necessary to reach the greatest number of people at the deepest heart level without ever violating free will. It is intense, but not as intense as eternal separation from the source of life.
Right now, the lines are being drawn. Geographic locations are starting to taste the first fruits of agreement with Jesus...revival is coming...but much more than revival! Reformation is coming! Gold dust, jewels, manna...these small glimpses of heaven touching earth are amazing tokens of MUCH greater things to come SOON!...but with it comes the fire Jesus longed to set. There is much on the line for this generation.
Every transitional generation saw the raw power of God visibly manifest on earth. Moses' generation, the disciples generation...and now OUR generation is poised to see the final and most extreme...global...manifestation of the raw power of God touch earth. Right now there is much to do to call the Body into agreement with God. Business as usual IS NOT a part of Jesus' program. Night and day prayer and worship, the unity of the Body, and the teaching of Jesus' very clear plan to return are essential in this hour to establish a Land of Goshen in the midst of the very broken nations of the earth.
Joel 2:12-13, 28, 30-31 “Now, therefore,” says the Lord , “Turn to Me with all your heart, With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.” So rend your heart, and not your garments; Return to the Lord your God, For He is gracious and merciful, Slow to anger, and of great kindness; And He relents from doing harm.... “And it shall come to pass afterward That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions. “And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: Blood and fire and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord .
Malachi called it the "great and dreadful" day of the Lord. It is the time of great increase in the agreement of understanding between God and His people (the "great" part) and a consolidation of the ranks of those not loyal to Jesus (the "dreadful") part. This is literally happening before our eyes. Discernment is very important in this time, because it is not all good or all bad.
The world isn't entering a time of complete destruction, or a time of widespread revival. It is entering a time of the greatest division between light and dark it has ever seen...it is entering a time of unprecedented INTENSITY. This is the time of harvest, when the wheat AND the tares...sin and righteousness...mature to fullness. This is the time of the "fire" Jesus set ablaze at Pentecost consuming the entire globe:
Luke 12:49-51 “I came to send fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am till it is accomplished! Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather division.
The division Jesus spoke of revolves around who He is, and what He is doing. The Pharisees and religious leaders of His day liked a controllable God...one they could direct and speak for to maintain their positions. Jesus was nothing like they had imagined Him to be, and they completely missed the one they claimed to represent. This is what Jesus said:
John 5:39-43 You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life. “I do not receive honor from men. But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you. I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive.
Jesus is coming...quite soon. Many have formed an idea in their minds, based on tradition, denominational stands, and conversations around the dinner table about what Jesus will and will not do in this time. Maybe it was a Left Behind book, or a TV preacher with a big graph and timeline that has formed your idea of who Jesus is and how He is going to come back. Whatever it is that has formed your ideas, it is important right now to identify where your ideas came from and whether or not they agree with the words the prophets, Jesus, and those who knew Him, spoke.
People will argue endlessly about the "symbolism" behind every word Jesus spoke, but Jesus actually stated quite plainly what He is going to do, how He is going to do it, and why He is going to do it. Jesus' plan is not symbolic. His plan is incredibly intense. Because we don't like the idea of the intensity, WE make the plan symbolic to explain it away or water it down. This is not symbolic:
Isaiah 24:1-15 Behold, the Lord makes the earth empty and makes it waste, Distorts its surface And scatters abroad its inhabitants. And it shall be: As with the people, so with the priest; As with the servant, so with his master; As with the maid, so with her mistress; As with the buyer, so with the seller; As with the lender, so with the borrower; As with the creditor, so with the debtor. The land shall be entirely emptied and utterly plundered, For the Lord has spoken this word. The earth mourns and fades away, The world languishes and fades away; The haughty people of the earth languish. The earth is also defiled under its inhabitants, Because they have transgressed the laws, Changed the ordinance, Broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore the curse has devoured the earth, And those who dwell in it are desolate. Therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, And few men are left. The new wine fails, the vine languishes, All the merry-hearted sigh. The mirth of the tambourine ceases, The noise of the jubilant ends, The joy of the harp ceases. They shall not drink wine with a song; Strong drink is bitter to those who drink it. The city of confusion is broken down; Every house is shut up, so that none may go in. There is a cry for wine in the streets, All joy is darkened, The mirth of the land is gone. In the city desolation is left, And the gate is stricken with destruction. When it shall be thus in the midst of the land among the people, It shall be like the shaking of an olive tree, Like the gleaning of grapes when the vintage is done....
(And HERE is the "division" Jesus spoke of:)
...They shall lift up their voice, they shall sing; For the majesty of the Lord They shall cry aloud from the sea. Therefore glorify the Lord in the dawning light, The name of the Lord God of Israel in the coastlands of the sea.
In the middle of the height of devastation of EVERY NATION (yes, America is in the Bible...more than many realize) of the earth, there will be pockets of song...cities of refuge...geographic places where God's people have actually responded to the call of the Lord to repent (agree with God) and come together in one accord. This is how the NIV states it:
Isaiah 24:13 So will it be on the earth and among the nations, as when an olive tree is beaten, or as when gleanings are left after the grape harvest.
But, I like the Good News version:
Isaiah 24:13 This is what will happen in every nation all over the world. It will be like the end of harvest, when the olives have been beaten off every tree and the last grapes picked from the vines.
So what is this remnant singing about? If the whole earth is devastated, why the song?
Isaiah 30:29-32. You shall have a song As in the night when a holy festival is kept, And gladness of heart as when one goes with a flute, To come into the mountain of the Lord , To the Mighty One of Israel. The Lord will cause His glorious voice to be heard, And show the descent of His arm, With the indignation of His anger And the flame of a devouring fire, With scattering, tempest, and hailstones. For through the voice of the Lord Assyria will be beaten down, As He strikes with the rod. And in every place where the staff of punishment passes, Which the Lord lays on him, It will be with tambourines and harps; And in battles of brandishing He will fight with it.
The song is the people of God agreeing with Jesus about love. It is night and day prayer set to music (worship) that Jesus would release the fullness of His plan, because the intensity of the plan forces the choice that will redeem many.
This is love: to allow people to see the consequences of a choice to try to live life apart from the Source of Life before that choice is permanent. Jesus wants people to face this choice, all the while witnessing the love, joy, and power expressed by those on earth living in agreement with the source of life...this is an INTENSE division between light and dark.
It is Jesus' plan to give everyone what they have chosen. Those who have chosen Him will have His spirit poured out on them in geographic areas of protection...cities of refuge...lands of Goshen...in such a remarkable way that Jesus' people will literally do greater things than He did...walking on water, raising the dead, multiplying food...no disease will stand against their words uttered in Jesus' name. But for those who choose life apart from the source of life, utter destruction, calamity, and terror will fall. Both groups will be present on earth through the whole process...in every nation there will be both dynamics happening.
This is because Jesus desires to make a difference between His people, and those who are rejecting Him:
Exodus 8:23 I will make a difference between My people and your people. Tomorrow this sign shall be.” ’ ”
Jesus' plan, laid out in the Book of Revelation, is the least intense means necessary to reach the greatest number of people at the deepest heart level without ever violating free will. It is intense, but not as intense as eternal separation from the source of life.
Right now, the lines are being drawn. Geographic locations are starting to taste the first fruits of agreement with Jesus...revival is coming...but much more than revival! Reformation is coming! Gold dust, jewels, manna...these small glimpses of heaven touching earth are amazing tokens of MUCH greater things to come SOON!...but with it comes the fire Jesus longed to set. There is much on the line for this generation.
Every transitional generation saw the raw power of God visibly manifest on earth. Moses' generation, the disciples generation...and now OUR generation is poised to see the final and most extreme...global...manifestation of the raw power of God touch earth. Right now there is much to do to call the Body into agreement with God. Business as usual IS NOT a part of Jesus' program. Night and day prayer and worship, the unity of the Body, and the teaching of Jesus' very clear plan to return are essential in this hour to establish a Land of Goshen in the midst of the very broken nations of the earth.
Joel 2:12-13, 28, 30-31 “Now, therefore,” says the Lord , “Turn to Me with all your heart, With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.” So rend your heart, and not your garments; Return to the Lord your God, For He is gracious and merciful, Slow to anger, and of great kindness; And He relents from doing harm.... “And it shall come to pass afterward That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions. “And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: Blood and fire and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord .
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