|City on a Hill - Writings for Refuge

The end time trouble is an invitation. It is first an invitation to the Church from the Father, and then, once the Church is made ready to carry the invitation like Jesus, an invitation to the world. It is really important to understand the nature of the tribulation, because the tribulation is really the release of glory back into the earth in advance of Jesus' return. Jesus is so bright, you really need to get ready to see Him and live: I Timothy 6:10-16 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. I urge you in the sight of God who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus who witne

Right now, God’s people are at a crossroads. There are many voices in the land… “go this way”…”this is what the Lord is doing”… “this is what the Lord is saying.” Which voice is right? Who knows the plans the Lord has laid for this hour? I have an opinion. You have an opinion. If we collected 50 people who have chosen Jesus as their savior and asked them what the Lord would have us focus on today, we would probably get 10 different answers…maybe even 50. BUT, this dynamic is changing. As the world becomes more intense, it will drive more and more people into a united decision BEFORE the return of Jesus. Joel 3:9-15 Proclaim this among the nations: "Prepare for war! Wake up the mighty men, Let all the men of war draw near, Let them come up. 10 Beat your plowshares into swords And your pruning hooks into spears; Let the weak say, 'I am strong.' " 11 Assemble and come, all you nations, And gather together all around. Cause Your mighty ones to go down there, O LORD. 12 &q

Believing Jesus is returning soon, and in a process that requires participation, is very good motivation to live in agreement with Jesus. In the first generation of disciples, this paradigm of thinking grew the Church in a time of great trouble, and left those first believers reaching for God in a way that released great revelation. What do you believe? What kind of fruit does your opinion produce in your own life? Does it motivate you to put on restraint and press you to reach for more and more understanding and revelation? Or, does it make you comfortable to seek what the world is seeking? It would be a great tragedy to live in the time those guys...Peter, James, John, Jude, and Paul... longed to see, and then completely drop the ball and abandon the mindset they had for it. James I John 2:16-19 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; bu

Jesus told saved people to be ready for His return. You don't need to be ready to die or to be raptured, you need to be ready to endure a time of trouble and stay in the plans of Jesus...to be hated by all people because they see you as they saw Jesus, yet still obeying Him in steadiness: Mark 13:12-13 Now brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end shall be saved. This trouble began for disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane...as a down payment. What was planted in that garden has matured for the last 2,000 years. Just as Jesus came as a baby, and will come again in the fullness of His kingdom, Jesus planted His friends as a new born church, and the fullness of the hatred of the king will come against the mature church in the last days. Jesus taught this in numerous ways. Every time he mentioned His return, He

Why it is so important for Christians to pray for Israel and resist the current rise of antisemitism: The primary role of the Church in the end times is praying for the salvation of Israel. This is what will eventually bring unity...seeing eye to eye... to the end time Church all over the planet: Isaiah 52:4-10 For thus says the Lord GOD: "My people went down at first Into Egypt to dwell there; Then the Assyrian oppressed them without cause. 5 Now therefore, what have I here," says the LORD, "That My people are taken away for nothing? Those who rule over them Make them wail," says the LORD, "And My name is blasphemed continually every day. 6 Therefore My people shall know My name; Therefore they shall know in that day That I am He who speaks: 'Behold, it is I.' " 7 How beautiful upon the mountains Are the feet of him who brings good news, Who proclaims peace, Who brings glad tidings of good things, Who proclaims salvation, Who says to Zion, "Y

Spiritually, everything happens from the "inside out." the physical follows the spiritual. What I mean is this: Jesus is renewing all things. When the fall of man occurred, the earth "fell" into darkness. Jesus is much brighter than the sun. His light is much different than the sun. The "fruit" of the spirit, or what that light produces, is much more full than the sun. There is love literally woven into the light, or glory of God...peace, joy, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control...these are literally impregnated into, or woven into, the light of His glory. that is why John said He is the light of mankind and the life is in the light: John 1:1-5 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness

Revelation 3:10 Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. The Tribulation is a test. It is a test designed to sift, or thresh, the people of the earth to see who will remain, or come under, Jesus' leadership before He comes to be the leader of the earth. When Jesus comes to be leader, He will be leader over everything: money, power, authority. This is the moment where Jesus takes the scroll, which is the title deed to the earth and all it contains: Revelation 5:2-13 Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?” And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it. So I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll, or to look at it. But one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda

Greater consecration leads to greater revelation. God gives food to the hungry. He came to help those who see their need and actively pursue Him to fill the lack. If you believe you have no need, then you get way less food, if any. This is because God will not violate the restraints of love...He will not violate your desire to give you even the treasures of the kingdom. If you aren't looking you will not find. If you aren't knocking, the door doesn't open for you, if you aren't asking, you won't receive. Doing the simple discipline of actively "wanting" and "waiting" is a requirement to get the treasures of the kingdom: Matthew 7:7-8 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. God is so powerful, that if He whispered "you will know me", you would HAVE to know Him. If Jesus hadn't said

There are many people right now beginning to talk about "cities of refuge." Beware, not all of the talk agrees with the Bible. This hour calls for great discernment. There are many false moves in the church, and the difference between the true moves and the false moves is very nuanced. There has never been a more important time to know for yourself what the Bible says. Corrupting Biblical concepts to mislead the Church is what the Revelation 13 refers to as “speaking like a dragon” Revelation 13:11-12 Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. 12 And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. Right now, the world is being brought to a decision to choose if they want to rely on the strength of men, or humble themselves and “wait upon the Lord”…tarry for His strength. This choice is