Holiness Unto the Lord conference 1990 #4b

greater theme that has come out of the meeting is that is the call to revival and to the what we call the end time scenario and as I prayed through the week and looked at various aspects of what's going on it became clear to me that it was important that we talked through the book of Joel and look at the prophecies as it relates to this endtime army those of you that have read Joel and know where it is know that it's a three chapter book and that like many prophetic books it has a dynamic in which Joel moves from the contemporary and that is to say the known to the unknown that is to say the future and then he moves back and forth segues back and forth and I'm sure that like many prophetic people of the past major or minor prophets that his message as far as he was concerned applied to the situation historically at the time of his life God raises up prophetic people to speak to those issues but you will have noticed this week those of you that have been prophesied to that often the prophetic people will move from the known to the unknown and that often when they'll call somebody out they'll they'll give a name or some descriptive phrase that that helps the person know that this is indeed the Spirit of God speaking he does know their heart he does know their frame he is aware of their makeup and it establishes our qualifies the prophetic word that's to come by having moved as it were in the known that was unknown to the prophetic person but known to the individual receiving it then to the unknown in which the prophecy will then move to things in the future situations that are to occur circumstances that are being developed in the life of the person even as that's true with individuals that's true with nations and in this case joel has been raised up by the Lord to speak to the nation and I'm going to give you a brief outline of the entire book and then come back to and speak specifically to those portions of the text that deal with what I think is today's situation that is to say what Joel was prophesying about as it applies to the endtime army when you look at the first chapter of Joel chapter 1 verses 1 through 20 deal with the the present at that time desolation by locusts and drought and as a result of the judgment of God Joel raised up as a prophet is calling the people to repent that is the same he's looking at contemporary situations through the paradigm of God's judgment on on the land and he's saying this isn't circumstance this isn't happen stance this didn't occur by sunset diffidence turn of life this is the hand of God these this droughts and these locusts that have come upon the land have been released by God as judgment upon the land and so prophetic people often interpret contemporary circumstances from the viewpoint of God they they loaded up as it were with understanding that maybe you otherwise would be devoid out I'm sure it was a shock to the system of the people when they heard Joel coming through the land and and clarifying that this calamitous situation that it occurred was indeed wrought by sovereign God God had brought it on the land the second chapter of Joel verses 1 through 11 talks about a time in the future now the the Prophet may not have known what he was saying it's important to recognize that quite often and maybe every time I don't know the prophetic people do not know the implication of that they're saying all they know is they've heard the audible voice of God or they've seen visions or had dreams interpretation has come and they're speaking that that that is as it were as in their bones they it just comes out I had personal knowledge of one or two people that would prophesied earlier this week prophesied over earlier this week and one of them was a friend of mine Torben Frei from Stockholm area solitude and I think it's a suburb of Stockholm and he if you recall was seated over here with his wife and as the prophetic word came forth through Paul I was just astounded because I know Paul doesn't know what it didn't know what he was saying he doesn't know the circumstances he doesn't know the situation in Turbin's life and what God's doing and even the use of the word hands it was a play on words because one of turbines friends is Hans and Hans has had just as it were been handed a baton he tore burned had a job to do something that the Lord had given him to do and he was passing it off to Hans and and if you listen back on the tape you'll hear that now that you know what it means but I know that Paul didn't know because I asked him afterwards he didn't know what the word he said well the Lord just gave it to me that way so I said what he gave him and gave me to say and so it's important to recognize that that prophetic people's sometimes do not know the implications of the things they're saying and it's my conviction that and some day I'll talk to Joel about this it's my conviction that he didn't know he was prophesying about the future or if it was the future he probably thought it was the near future the immediate future because everything for the prophetic people is right now they always think it's right now that's one of the most difficult areas is timing that's why it's not good idea when a person when a prophetic person prophesy is over you to ask them in the aftermath well when do you think this will come to pass because they're gonna tell you it's going to happen now they're gonna tell you that every time and it's interesting as you look through the New Testament how often the New Testament persona all thought that Christ's return was immediate it would happen in their lifetime they were convinced though and it was because of the prophetic revelation that had come it was real to them Jesus is about to return and he's going to return now get even now even now even now get ready now that's always the urgent of the urgency of the prophetic for them it is now it may as well have happened they experienced all the emotion of it they've experienced all the impact of it it's as though it has happened as far as they're concerned and it's important that you know that because yes God gives you prophecy you know things sometimes don't come immediately it's fascinating to me to look at people like Paul from the time that the Lord met him on the road to Damascus until Ananias laid hands on him and he received his sight back until he had gone through that period of time that sort of nebulous in the scripture we he spent some time in the desert and then he comes to Jerusalem and evidently has this incredible experience in the temple where the Lord takes him he said I don't know if I was in my body or out of my body I I can't I can't tell you all I know is that these this great revelation came to me he talks about this in 2nd Corinthians 12 and yet it was and then just shortly thereafter he's almost disgraced and run out of town because of the impropriety I think the importance in his ministry in that he so arouses the ire of the Jewish community that they have to get him out of Jerusalem for safety's sake and they spends something like the next 10 years mending nets and tarsus you think he wasn't anxious you think he wasn't burdened you know here here's he's had this incredible experience God has you know as it were appeared to him called him into the ministry and yet he spends 10 years on the bench waiting for it to happen finally Barnabas shows up says hey Paul it's happening just like you said let's go over to Antioch and off they went and and I think Paul frankly went through his apprenticeship there in a year's period where he and Barney went from house to house and ministered to the people and then in the aftermath chapter 13 the prophetic word comes separate Paul and Barnabas to the work where until I have called them and even then he had to wait until the church prayed and fasted and agreed and as the text says it seemed good to the church as the holy holy ghost that they go so Paul knew something about anxiety something about waiting for prophetic words to come to pass and some of you are gonna learn about that in the next few years so here in the second chapter we see the description of the eschatological army of the Lord which will be released just before the end of the ages and we'll come back to that in a few moments and study it in depth and then in the 12th verse through the 27th the Prophet summons his own generation to repentance so here he is he's segwaying in the first chapter he's talking to his own generation the first portion of the second chapter he's moving into a time future and then he moves right back into a contemporary setting in verses 12 through 27 he talks about the deliverance that's available to them if they will but repent and then in the 28th verse he shifts gears again the Prophet once again looks at the end of the ages and prophesies a time of the great outpouring of the Holy Spirit and then in the third chapter joe-joe prophesized the future restoration of Israel so at the end a judgment of the Gentile nations and so in my mind and again I said someday I'll sit down and have a cup of coffee with Joel and asking did you know at the time that you prophesied what you were talking about my suspicion is he'll say no I didn't fully understand I didn't comprehend I was a messenger I didn't generate the message it was just handed to me and it was given to me in a way that didn't require my understanding I just did my job I just communicated that that God had given me now if you'll turn back with me to Joel - I want to focus on what I think is now a contemporary setting this was has been one of the most difficult things for me to come to grips with in this whole process because I had been taught as a young Christian that Joel's army was a negative army and that it was not the army of God although sovereign God allowed it but it was an army that was being raised up as it were by the enemy and so I struggled with this idea that Joel's army is God's army and it were being called to it and so I had to go back and work through a lot of texts and a lot of misunderstandings to gain the understanding that I want to share with you this morning I'm going to look now and read the first two verses of Joel to blow the trumpet in Zion and sound an alarm in my holy mountain and let all the inhabitants of the land tremble for the day of the Lord cometh for it is nigh at hand a day of darkness and of gloominess a day of clouds and thick darkness like the morning spread upon the mountains so the Prophet looking at the time of the day of the Lord sees it as a dark day as a difficult time as a time of judgment and he speaks here in the first sentence in Zion Joel isn't warning the world he's warning God's people the last days in his mind I think will be akin to the time of Noah that is to say the warning came to the people of God to Noah and his family but did not come in the same way and nor was it received in part by anyone else and so this warning time this period this scenario that we're talking about is a time in which God's people those that have ears to hear will hear and those that do not will not and there as there many other texts that deal with us in the New Testament they'll marry and keep right on partying and keep right on functioning even as in the days of Noah right up until the end oblivious to the fact that God is on the move and God is moving in great power and authority in the land but those that hear will tremble now in my opinion everyone ultimately will tremble some will tremble in fear of judgment and justly so others will fear in fear of judgment but even knowing they're going to get mercy but the judgment the wrath of God will be so awesome so frightening so fearful that even those who are receiving mercy and who are as it were been singled out and separated from it well just looking at it just aware of it will be overwhelmed and literally will tremble if you'll turn with me to Isaiah keep your hand in Joel turn with me to Isaiah 66 the latter part of verse 2 and I want to show you the positive side of this trembling and I think it will characterize those people that were talking about last night those that are humble of heart and those who have entered into the Apostolic suffering of the end times that is to say it will characterize the Church of the end times and the Lord is speaking through the prophet Isaiah here in the latter part of the second verse and he set of 66 and he says this this is the one I esteem he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word have you seen anybody trembling at the word of God this week have you seen the power of God's Spirit come upon people and caused their bodies to shake your attic Lee have you known the trembling of the Lord and your own spirit that awakening that quaking that goes on inside as they as your quickened by the realization that this is true God is on the move things are beginning to happen this is a reality God is speaking to us I've known it our team has known it you know it's one of them it's an interesting thing I I know I'm somewhere near four or five hundred conferences things that I've done over the last 25 years and one of the things that characterizes the time when there's Evan flow there are times when there's been more and times when there's been less we're now at a time where there's more again it's fascinating to me that when the Spirit of God is really moving the whole team is at every meeting they're all listening because they've heard some of these messages before but they're there because they don't want to miss any morsel any fragment any sentence because they're adding to their knowledge God is speaking God is causing a word to be formed in our midst as we're gathering each day and so those that hear it even unto Mercy will tremble and those who hear it unto judgment will be frightened out of their wit's in 1st Peter 4:17 you don't need to turn there but you know that that text is Peters talking about the last days and he's talking about the the judgment that will come on the church the judgment that will come on the people of God and so there is a judgment of prejudgment if you will of the Church of God's people we've talked about this week we've talked about the angel of the Lord moving through the land we've talked about the haughty the proud the immoral and that God's first judgment has come upon leadership and leadership is being purged throughout the church throughout the world story after story after story men being sat down men and who have had household names in the past international fame being set down and out of the ministry because the angel of the Lord is going through the land and separating them but those that are humbling themselves and repenting and who are contrite and even as Isaiah 66 talks about those those are being anointed by the same sword the same angel that is cutting one down is anointing the other with us with a sword and I I refer to Bob Jones in the prophetic word that the Lord gave him where he saw this axe actually happened it could hear the sound of the heads being cut off the crunch of the bones and the splattering of the blood it was absolutely her if and Bob was shakin for days in the aftermath and he saw the sword and the angel and he saw written on the sword holy unto the Lord and so the same sword that brought judgment also brought blessing and blessed those who were humbled and contrite of spirit Ezekiel the ninth chapter talks about the other aspect of this the other dimension of this in a prophetic word in which Ezekiel sees six guards and a man dressed in linen set loose in Israel in Jerusalem actually at a time when there had been idolatry to a major extent I'll read the text to you it's I'm looking at Ezekiel 9 and I'll be reading 1 through 7 and then I heard him call out in a loud voice bring the guards of the city here each with a weapon in his hand and I saw six men coming from the direction of the upper gate which faces north each with a deadly weapon in his hand and with them was a man clothed in linen and you know linen linen is figurative of purity righteousness who had a writing kit at his side and they came in and stood beside the bronze altar now the glory of the Lord of the God of Israel went up from above the cherubim where it had been and moved to the threshold of the temple I believe that this is a is figurative it's it it's symbolic and it's communicating not only something that that was going to happen in that day but has the double application of our day the glory of the Lord is about to move into the temple and he's coming to the door here there are other texts that would indicate that he as it were he's coming to his house the third chapter of Hebrews talks about us the people of God being the house of the Lord Paul Cain referred to John 15 and talked about the the Lord saying that we were to be a piece that that he was going away because in his father's house were many mansions and that he would become he would become returning to the house and what we have here is an understanding that the Lord is going to return to his house he's going to return to his house spiritually and for a powerful and profound way there'll be a time where even as in acts 2 suddenly as they were gathered in in the midst of them the Lord came and with it an anointing beyond anything that has ever been given to man before something so astounding something so marvelous that God has kept it as a mystery as it were behind his back and he's about to reveal it to the ages he's about to reveal it with the judgment of all mankind will come this incredible incarnation 'el in dumit of God's Spirit and we will see the Elijah's you know I love Kevin precious song where is the Lord God of Elijah but every time I I sing and I I think and where are the Elijah's of the Lord God because we're about to see them this endtime army will be made up of the Elijah's of the Lord God will be characteristic of his ministry the Malachi 4:6 text is central to that Elijah ministry you see Elijah was a type even as John the Baptist was a type of those that would would prepare the way of the Lord and the the characteristic of that ministry is the turning of the hearts of the father's to the sons and the sons to the father's the prodigal 's are about to come home in a great unending line but we must prepare the house that they may come home and that's where the repentance comes that's where the preparations of the heart that's where the contrite 'no scums in getting our hearts ready that these that are being prepared by the Spirit of God they're going to receive a visitation they're going to receive a great light and they're going to be turned to the church get ready folks get ready [Applause] and so this is the description of that of a period of judgment and I'm now looking at the negative side that the judgment that will come against the idolaters and it says the third verse now the glory of the God of Israel went up up from above the cherubim where it had been and moved to the threshold of the temple I believe it's he's there now he's there now soon he will fill the temple then the Lord called to the man clothed in linen who had written the writing kit at his side has said go throughout the City of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament over all the detestable things that are done in it and that's what this sword is all about the sort of judgment on the one hand but the mark of the Lord on the other hand holiness under the Lord you know the teachings of Zachariah you know the teachings of the high priesthood you know they wore a frontlet on their foreheads holy unto the Lord holy unto the Lord the angel of the Lord is going through the land now and marking those that are his put a mark on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament over all the detestable things that are done in it and so it's the heartbreak that we feel as we look at the church not the world the church the detestable things done among the people of God and as its as we tune in to that and as we begin repenting for ourselves and our participation and for our brethren who are participating and we call out to God even as we've done this week and I believe them that the Lord's hand has been staged so far this week as it relates to that Middle East situation Paul will probably have more for you tonight on that I don't know but you watch you watch the clock we are in the time of the summing up of things it's underway as I listened he said to the others follow him throughout the city and kill without showing pity or compassion slaughter old men young men maidens women children who do not touch anyone who has the mark aren't you glad for the mark now note this and begin at my sanctuary begin there so the first judgment first Peter 4:17 will be on the house of the Lord it's underway it's underway it's happening today this is what's going on at this time so they began with the elders who were in front of the temple and they said to them defile the temple and fill the courts with a slain so they began with the house of the Lord and they began with the elders of the house of the Lord do you see the picture and defile the temple with the slain let them lay there for everyone to see see the scripture is consistent in these things first Timothy I think it's for 19 and 20 or 519 and 20 I can't remember now it says rebuke an elder in public as a were before the congregation and the word rebuke means stop it tell him to stop deal with them publicly with their sin make it public bring them up and deal with it in front of everybody so that as it were the house the Lord will know the terror of the Lord well no sin and what it costs and what we're experiencing today as we with our own eyes and always in the tragic it isn't awful and every time we see one of these nationally and internationally known people go under an awareness is beginning to creep into the body of Christ you know it's not smart to sin it's not wise to sin it's not prudent to sin as Mike said the other day there's no future in it it's short-term at best go and they went out and began killing throughout the city and while they were killing I was left alone and I felt based on crying out all sigh burn Lord are you going to destroy the entire remnant of Israel in this outpouring of your wrath on Jerusalem and I think that we will all pray that prayer as we watch this thing progress he answered me the sin of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great now I want you to note I II that is to say the land is full of bloodshed and the city is full of injustice now what we're talking about is the Cain and Abel syndrome the blood of your brother cries from the ground now we didn't slay them literally we did it with our tongues we were unkind unjust we slandered we spoke vilely we published it we put it in the news we put it in the on the radio we put it on the television we we talked glibly about one another we made judgments about one another and slander the men of God and the women of God and the blood the unjustly killed is calling from the ground furthermore there's no justice in the land we used our positions of preeminence in place within the structures of the church to rule unjustly we oppressed our brethren and I wished I had the time to go through all the texts that the Lord has given me on that one but I want to taste something it's never wise to be part of the oppressing element god hates it he's passionately against it and God will bring justice this is what Amos saw name is five when he said let justice roll down like a river I tell you that River is forming can you see the riblets all around you it's forming it's for me and so the profit here is talking about a time of judgment in Zion that is to say of the church a time of trembling and the day of the Lord when it comes a time of great darkness and gloominess a day of clouds and thick darkness and I think it's important to catch this in listen if you're still in Joel if you've got your thumb and Joel turn about three pages five pages and you'll be in Amos 5 and I want to look at what Amos says about this darkness and gloom you see often in the Old Testament when the Lord appeared he appeared in darkness and gloom Amos however saw the day of the Lord as a darkness and Amos 5:18 through twenty it says woe unto you that desire the day of the Lord to what ended is it for you the day of the Lord is darkness and not like as if a man did flee from a lion and bear at a bear met him or went into his house and leaned his hand on the wall and a serpent bit him just when he thought he was safe just when he thought he was secure just when he thought had gotten away he was taken down shall not the day of the Lord be darkness and not light even very dark and no brightness in it you see the day of the Lord is a time of impending judgment all things are going to be set right we've been praying father that your kingdom will be done on earth that's even as it is in heaven and when that will is done on earth there will be judgment things will be set right and it'll be a time of darkness Isaiah saw this is a time of dreadful darkness coming on Amos saw it again in 521 through 2040 says I hate I despises the Lord speaking your feasts and I will not smell your solemn assemblies though you offer me burnt offerings in your meat offerings I will not accept them neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts take away from me the noise of your songs for I will not hear the melody of your instruments but let judgment run down as waters and righteousness has a mighty stream what he's saying is put right the house of the Lord empty assemblies emptily ablations empty activities where your heart's not right aren't abomination to God he's looking for a people that will worship with their whole heart and their whole spirit with all of their energy and all their focus and worship folks goes beyond singing a few songs it means every aspect of your life ordered under the lordship and the mastery of the Lord it's the way you drive on the expressways it's the way you talk to the grocer it's the way you relate to your neighbor it's the attitude in your financial exchanges it's selling that car and telling the buyer everything that's wrong with it and why you're getting rid of that wreck that you want to charge so much for are you hearing it's doing unto your neighbor that you would have done unto yourself justice will prevail in that day thank God so nursey ibaka saw it and pleaded for mercy in Habakkuk 2:3 - he's his own Lord I have heard your speech and was afraid don't you love that I've heard it coming Lord and I'm afraid Oh Lord revive your work in the midst of the years in the midst of the years make known and in Wrath remember mercy I love that line in the New Testament mercy triumphs over judgment it shall but it will it will only try out for those who have ears to hear who prepare their hearts who enter in to this time of judgment understanding there is a place of safety you see those outside of the ark cried to no avail but those inside were in safe and secure in the provision of God back to Joel to Malakai again i want to give you one more verse and three one through three saw the filling of the temple and as we said we see the Lord at the threshold the judgment has begun but it rafted the judgment of the people of God will become the to go the judgment of the earth so it's it's a it's a progressive process but with the judgment of the temple when that's finished there'll be a filling of the temple and that's why we're prophesying and saying to you that it's coming soon while in the midst of our gatherings while in the midst of our our intercessions while we are praying while we were doing even as Jesus talked about these things the greater things will come suddenly immediately right away a change in a moment without notice a twinkling of the eye the lord will fill his temple and the anointing of God the power of God will come was talking to a dear brother here this morning I had breakfast with and one that I've admired for years he's had a marvelous healing ministry here in the country and looked forward to meeting him we we sat down and talked and he was overwhelmed by what had happened last night and he I get evidently stood up in the bleachers here somewhere and watched it happen he said I've never seen anything like that in my life I said woman me either [Applause] [Music] he said I've never seen 5,000 people come forward at once I said me either I'm very articulate in these exchanges he said I've never seen so many people empowered by the spirit at one time I said me either he would have thought the conversation was getting boring by then but we were both weeping and I said you know III had a I felt a great word last night and I but the poorest delivery I've ever had I struggle I felt like I was walking in mud up to my hips trying to get it out and he started laughing and he said I know that one and he said the Lord is not gonna let you glory in the delivery I said yeah that's that's where it works I said I agree with you I said if I had done it well then I would have thought there was some correlation between that many people coming forward and that many people being touched by some effort I had made I like it that way don't you like it that way [Music] [Applause] for your sake it would have been nice if the preaching had been better but for my sake I felt quite comfortable with the whole process so malachi and the third chapter says this behold i will send my messenger and he shall prepare the way before me the Lord whom ye shall seek shall suddenly come to his temple even the messenger of the Covenant whom you delight in behold he shall come says the Lord of hosts but who may abide the day of his coming and who shall stand when he appears for he is like a refiners fire and like Fuller's soap and he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver and he shall purify the sons of Levi the priests the priesthood and purge them as gold and silver that they may offer unto the Lord an offering of righteousness now most everything that I'm telling you in this message is is right there in that text that's the process we're in right now the refiners fire is working the Fuller's soap is working purging is going on the house of the Lord is being put right things are people are being exalted who are humble people who have been haughty are being set down immorality is being dealt with impropriety is being dealt with injustice is being dealt with the house and the Lord is being set straight in its proper place hallelujah praise the Lord do it Lord make it happen Lord may it be Lord now in the second verse through the third verse we have the identity of the army and this is really crucial that you get this Joel 2 a day of darkness and gloom a day of clouds and Brian Dennison like dawn spreading across the mountains a large and mighty army comes such as never was a bold never ever will be in ages to come this will be the greatest army ever assembled now when I believed in the past that this was a negative army I believe that Satan would would gather the largest army in the history of mankind otherwise what I believed was that Satan would triumph over God and in the justification was that there was that there is a broad way in a narrow way and I had other texts along those lines but I've now switched paradigm and I'm beginning to see that this is the Lord's army I'm convinced it's the Lord's arm I shouldn't say I shouldn't qualify it in any way I know it's the Lord's army that's it says in verse 12 it is the Lord's army let's look at that real quick the Lord thunders at the head of whose army of his army his forces are beyond number and mighty are those who obey his command the day of the Lord is great it is dreadful who can endure it a little later in the 25th verse he refers to my great army I don't know how but I missed those time and time again in the past in an amazing when you get a certain idea of how the scripture is supposed to come out you can just overlook something do you ever do that with tongues gifts I did I don't know how many times my life I wrote read first Corinthians twelve and thirteen and fourteen not understanding it and not seeing it because the paradigms that I had been trained in controlled my interpretation of what I saw possibly I'm doing it again I don't know but if I am don't wake me up because I've enjoyed it a great people and a strong there has not ever been like this army this army is not a locust army or a demonic army or an enemy army it's the Lord's army it's his endtime army they're called a great people and they belong to Yahweh and Yahweh goes before them verse two excuse me chapter 2 verse 11 furthermore in the same text it says and they obey his word this army is large powerful unique unlike any army that's ever existed before or will again even as the Lord started this thing with a bang axe - he's going to end it with something so colossal so stupendous so incredible as Paul Cain says so awesome that we'll talk about it throughout eternity it'll be the buzz forever every time we gather together what the Lord did Oh isn't the Lord magnificent isn't he wonderful didn't he do a great thing [Music] now one of the difficulties with this is this idea of a fire that's represented here you see it says a fire devours before them or goes before them the devouring fire going before this army is Yahweh himself again it's the eleventh first that I'm referring to the Lord thunders at the head of his army his forces are beyond number and mighty are those who obey his command the Lord Himself is the devouring fire fire he has set the angels he has sent his forces in the spirit realm to produce this effect that we saw in Malachi this effect that the other prophet saw this refiners fire this fuller soap this work of the all-consuming passion of God as he consumes his enemies and consumes those who have resisted him and so it's the Lord Himself who will lead this army it's the Lord Himself who's doing this work in Exodus the 24th chapter verse 17 and it says and the site of the glory of the Lord was like devouring fire on the top of the Mount in the eyes of the children of Israel you see the symbolism of fire is used frequently throughout scripture let me give you two or three other verses you'll need to turn there but you may want to write them down Deuteronomy the fourth chapter the 24th verse says for the Lord thy God is a consuming fire even a jealous God in Psalms 50 verse 3 says our God shall come and he shall not keep silent a fire shall devour before him and it shall be very tempestuous around him again depicting this judgment this all-consuming fire that will come Zephaniah saw it in the 3rd chapter the 8th verse says therefore wait ye upon me says the Lord until the day that I rise that raise up to the prey for my determination is to gather the nation's that I may assemble the kingdom's to pour upon them my indignation my wrath even all my fierce anger for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my the jealousy dark days coming day of judgment Peter saw it he wrote about it and then in the light of that says knowing these things are going to come to pass how should we then live hello peter has wise counsel for that generation as well as this and every generation in between what does the fire signify it depicts God Himself consuming his enemies and isn't that just isn't that right men have been shaking their fists in the face of God for centuries isn't it right that God himself would deal with them it's just the scripture says that in that day no one will be able to gain say no one will be able to argue that they were treated unjustly Deuteronomy the ninth chapter verse 3 understand therefore this day that the Lord thy God is he which goes before you as a consuming fire he shall destroy them and he shall bring them out them down before your face so shall you drive them out and destroy them quickly as the Lord has said unto thee so we get to cooperate in this process but the Lord leads we are the army but he's the general he's out ahead hallelujah all the force of heaven and all the people of God of Earth will be following in this army furthermore it signifies the Word of God itself you see it's important to understand that in this secularized age that we live in we even if Christians we believe that this is the Word of God all right my friend Dave Parker who's here today I heard him say one time I was a I'm an evangelical I believe that God writes and doesn't speak then or I believed that God wrote and didn't speak and I'm afraid I was in the same camp for years the idea that God would speak today in a contemporary situation and communicate was foreign to anything that I understood from those that trained me theologically but I knew better it than that because God had been speaking to me all along and so I was caught in that awkward place where I my experience didn't conform to the things I was taught to believe and I had to struggle with it finally came to grips with the fact that my experience superseded my education I knew better and I had to come to grips with it but God has spoken God does speak and God will speak he spoke to Moses for instance in Exodus 3 - and the angel of the Lord appeared unto Him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush and he looked him you held and the bush burned with fire and the bush was not consumed deuteronomy 4:12 talks about this and the Lord spake unto you out of the midst of the fire and you heard the voice of the words but saw no reality or understanding only you heard a voice Deuteronomy 5 for again talks about this the Lord talked with you face to face on the mountain out of the midst of fire and then again in the 10th chapter 4th verse and he wrote on the tables according to the first writing the ten commandments which the Lord spoke unto you on the Mount in the midst of the fire and the day of the assembly and the Lord gave them unto you so God has spoken God spoke to Moses God initiated a people established them and God speaks today furthermore this this fire that signifies the Word of God in God's servants God has not only spoken as it were - of people but those people are now speaking the word to others in Jeremiah 5:14 it says wherefore thus saith the Lord God of hosts because you speak this word behold I will make my words in your mouth and his people will would and it should devour them the whole underlying idea here is that god has spoken a people have believed it they're repeating it the words will be formed in their mouths and with it the fire of God will come people will be made wood and they'll be consumed alleluia [Applause] [Music] [Applause] we're supposed to say glory to God three times can we do that going to God glory to God glory to God it'll be over pretty quick don't worry about it you see the enemy has no hold here he has no place he can hide [Applause] he's on the run there's no place he can hide there's no place you can go there's nothing you can hide under her in that the Lord can't find him that the Holy Spirit won't seek him out and deal with it light is being proclaimed here the Spirit of the Lord is here the Word of God is being communicated the kingdom of God is being brought to bear with a king of Darkness prevail in the midst of that No [Applause] again in Jeremiah the 20th chapter verse 9 says then I said I will not make mention of him nor speak any more in his name but his word was in my heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones and I was weary with forbearing and I could not stay jeremiah knew what it was like to try to contain the word of the Lord in timidity and in fear unwilling to face remember even in his call in the first chapter the whole issue was the fear of their faces now you and I know about the fear of people's faces don't we and we've not known the emboldened Monteux of the Lord but I tell you we're about to I tell you it's beginning and you're going to find yourself doing things you couldn't have imagined you would do a few years ago [Applause] [Music] [Applause] furthermore this fire represents God's servants themselves going forth in conquering power Obadiah saw this in the first chapter 17th and 18 verses he says but upon Mount Zion shall be deliverance and there shall be holiness and the house of Jacob shall possess their possessions and the house of Jacob shall be a fire and the house of Joseph aflame and the house of Esau for stubble and they shall Kindle in them and devour them and there shall not be any remaining in the house of Esau for the Lord hath spoken it now does to say there'll be no more mixture no more linen and and wool no more of the kind of thing that we've grown up with and have been tempered by and that we've learned to live with and we've known it was wrong and we've watched convert after convert in their innocence come in and receive the blessing of Lord and love the Lord Jesus Christ and be purified only to come face-to-face with an impure Church and watch the disillusionment in their eyes as they had to come to grips with the reality that the people of God are not like the God they say they love but that's about to change we're in the process of witnessing it now the change is underway hallelujah praise the Lord it's about time I want to be exciting [Applause] [Music] you know I complained about my watch so much some guy came and gave me his last night they're not incredible I hope he's just lending it to me I'd hate to think he gave it to me basically I'll be through with it by the way at the end of this meeting so if you're here today please come and claim your watch but thanks a lot for it it helped me right now you know in Ephesians 6 Paul talks about this in this sort of an obtuse way but he talks about a bride without spot or wrinkle remember a church is purified a church that's properly prepared a church that's where she ought to be somebody was telling me one time he said you know how you get something without spot or wrinkle he says first you have to wash it and scrub it and then you have to put a lot of pressure and heat on it I thought that really depicts what's coming pressure and heat and scrubbing spots and wrinkles go David saw it in Psalm 104 for he says who makes his angels spirits and his ministers fire in a sheep and they shall devour all the people around them on the right hand and on the left and Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place even in Jerusalem the city of our God you see this fire represents God's power as displayed not only in his word but in his people God is about to ignite his people and I think it'll be very much I think a good scenario for us a good model for us as acts 2 they gathered in obedience Jesus said Terry wait and they gathered in obedience and I oh if I could encourage you to anything go home and start gathering put some intercessory time together and pray and call out to God for revival do it daily several times a day if possible give yourselves over to it get passionately involved in it call out to God in in the midst of that will come the visitation in the midst of that will come the flame we've we don't know anything about this yet we've had little spurts little touches of God hasn't come yet but we know it's coming and we know that God is stirring it here this week and so parenthetically let me say this that the fire has represented God's power is displayed in signs of wonders in the past for instance in Exodus 13 21 we see the filler pillar of fire and in Elijah and the consuming fire in second Kings 1 10 12 and 14 and the occasions where he called down fire if you remember and consumed 50 people at a time now folks that's signs and wonders when a man can call down fire and if you read very carefully in revelation 11 you know that that same kind of power it's going to be released in the end time witnesses and I believe that we are part of that we'll see that in our midst well be wise to choose those guys off and to try to resist them not because of them but because of the power of God on them scripture says that they can call down to plague anytime they want to that astounds me every time I read that text revelation 11 you read it for yourself see if you see the same thing in 2nd Kings 2:11 and the 6th verse 17 you see Elijah as it were being taken up to heaven in a chariot of fire so this business of fire and of signs and wonders is another caricature of the visitation of God it's another way of perceiving and relating and understanding but I think the most important symbolism the found in this 2nd chapter so second verse is this whole idea that Garden of Eden the meaning of the Garden of Eden is that the in the midst of this devastating act exercise of justice and wrath there will be mercy there'll be a place for the people of God this reference to Eden here in this text means that there'll be a place a provision in the midst of Wrath and judgment there'll be a place a provision of God for his people not necessarily or only our uniquely for their safety although I think that's there but simply because godness is is going to use those people in this process even as the Angels have been released to bring judgment the people of God will by their very the very fact of their presence by the very fact of their message you see when you preach mercy there's judgment on the other side of it every time you say come to Jesus we Pat and turn those that do not come to Jesus do not repent and turn are judged for having not repented and turned so even as we preach the mercy of God even as we raise our hands in the name of Jesus and heal the sick even as we cast out demons and minister in authority in the power of God there is judgment on the other side of that those that do not receive it those that turn their back on it those that decline it will decline it into judgment so God has provided a place of safety God has provided a place of mercy but it's only for those that will receive it and humble themselves to receive it not the hearty not the high-minded not the worldly but those who are humble and contrite who tremble at his word this army will inspire fear and terror in its in the hearts of its adversaries in Joel - four through six it says this they have the appearance of horses they gallop along like cavalry with a noise like the chariots they leap over the mountaintops like a crackling fire consuming stubble like a mighty army drawn up for battle at the sight of them nations in anguish every face turns pale Bob Jones calls them the dread champions those that will be raised up to champion the cause of God who will bring dread to the hearts of men on the one hand mercy on the other hand judgment this army will have power over men look at at verses seven through nine they charge like warriors they scale walls like soldiers they march in line not swerving from their course they do not jostle each other each marches straight ahead they plunge two defenses without breaking ranks they rush upon the city they run along the wall they climb into the houses like thieves they enter through the windows this indeed will be a disciplined well-organized machine God is about to bring up people who have not been obedient into obedience a people who have been highly individualistic into a corporate entity a people who have been sophistic and who have said separated themselves from one another into an assembly unit Ezekiel 37 is about to come to pass the dry bones are going to be assembled the muscle and the sinew is being placed on the body the body is being put back together and soon will come the breath of life have you heard any bones this week we've been hearing it ever since we got off the plane three weeks ago we've seen people that we didn't we didn't know them but we were told by others for instance the first weekend in Cardiff we were told that people were in that room that had not been together in 25 years now that hauntin not to be so brothers that had become enemies brothers who had become disengaged separated or being molded together again in the name of Jesus John 17:21 was being visibly established right before our eyes that as they became one the world would know that the father has sent him that's what the world's been waiting for they've never resisted our Jesus they don't resist our message concerning him they don't their love grace they love the idea of being saved they just don't like his church [Applause] [Music] well it's time to show him the world the Church of Jesus Christ the church and unity the church and union if feegans talks about this turn with me there to the fourth chapters what am i becoming one of my favorite texts 4:11 has been prominent in my mind for years 11 and 12 the Lord recently gave me a couple more verses she done that to you and it was he who gave some to be apostles some to be prophets some to be evangelists and some to be pastors and teachers to prepare God's people for works of service ministry so these aforementioned leaders have a responsibility and that responsibility is to equip the Saints teach them how to minister that's what we've been doing in this country now for nine years coming and equipping coming and getting people to do things twelve verse to prepare God's people for works of service for a reason and that reason so is a logic connective that means in the light of that so that the body of Christ may be built up and the idea here is is pneumatically edifice it's a built up by being gathered by being made one and it has a medical terminology underneath it also the idea of something that was disjointed joined again it's now in its proper place now will work because the elbow is no longer out of place the shoulders no longer out of places it's in its proper place to prepare God's people for works of service so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity and there's three symbols here three goals as it were until we all reach unity in the faith now does that mean that we'll all baptized the same they will all take the Lord's Supper the same way that we'll all meet in exactly the same kind of patterns and form I don't think that means that at all what that means is that there'll be unity with difference that will come together unified by the higher purposes of God this is the very thing that that Paul talks about in the first chapter that Mike brought out the other day that that even as God has a wonderful plan for your life he has a wonderful plan for his son's life and his son has a wonderful plan for the father and that we're now entering into a higher purpose a purpose that's more important than being Baptists or Anglicans or Catholics or vineyard or any other group and that's the purposes of God in these end times and so we can lay aside those things that have separated us in the past and gather around the purposes of God and the person of God the Lord Jesus Christ and what he wants to accomplish in his last days [Applause] and so it will be until we reach unity that unity in the faith and I think that's what it's talking about I'm sure there'll be more but that's what I see now second of all and in the knowledge of the Son of God and I think what we're talking about here again is this unique understanding of knowledge the knowing of God knowing God in an intimate and personal way as you know the the root word in the old and the New Testament connotes sexual intercourse in intimacy in marriage marital relations the whole underlying idea of knowing your mate in an intimate and personal way will know the Lord will know the Lord there'll be daily intimate interaction with the Lord the Lord will visit you the Lord will speak to you the Lord will heal you the Lord will touch you the Lord will empower you the Lord will use you and it'll be a daily experience and we won't have thousands of people like we had last night raising their hands saying I've never let anyone to Jesus I've never healed the sick I've never cast out demons I've never in any way participated in a miraculous event I've not had these gifts I've not had these experiences but they will in that day that's what's coming it was fascinating to me I got to tell you this the early this morning I met a dear sister who told me that that last night she raised her hand when she said I'd never let anyone to Jesus but this morning she led two of the hotel people to Christ is that hot or what [Applause] so that's the knowledge we're talking about we're not talking about just intellectual information understanding we're talking about an intimate concourse of life we're talking about a digesting of a in relationship in which we are one consuming one another the Lord consuming you you consuming him the people of God vibrant with his presence imprinted by his personality his character built into your life and the anointing of the Lord on your lips and in your hands and on your feet as you carry this gospel this good news to everyone you know and then finally attaining the whole measure of the fullness now we talked about fullness a little earlier we're talking about the fullness of times we're talking about the fullness of God's plan we're talking about in 1:9 remember we talked about fullness we're in that time of fulfillment in Acts the third chapter talks about the fullness of times where the blessings the refreshing would come we're now in that time of fullness fullness is right around the door soon we'll see what the body of Christ was supposed to be I've often wondered people have talked to me about this for years and it always perplexed me they'd say I want to return to their first century Church why we're hoping to become like the first century Church we're supposed we're wanting to enter in and I thought that can't be God's high-water mark that I refused to believe that that's the best God can do that church was right was strike from difficulty and and I mean I mean the sins are innumerable there's got to be something better than the New Testament church not that we measure up to it yet but there's got to be something better God's got to have more than that and I now know he does and I now know he will and I now know that with it it's right around the corner for us that will enter into a time in which men and women will turn from the world and turn from the sin and turn from the things that have beguile dn't and on them and become a people that are Puritan power to passionate for the Lord Jesus Christ [Applause] and you see what we needed was a higher call what we needed was a higher vision we needed something worth worth laying our crowns down for laying our prejudice down for laying our our sophistic ideas around our sectarian views and valve values down for there's something to higher than being a vineyard member it's there's something higher than being Anglican there's something higher than being Baptists and that is to be in this endtime army and and involved in this great Enterprise of bringing everything on the earth and above the earth and below there to the feet of Jesus [Applause] [Music] and so this army has power over men furthermore this army has power over nature and principalities that's what we see in 210 before them the earth shakes and the sky trembles and the Sun and Moon are darkened and the stars no longer shine power over nature you see that in the Ministry of Jesus you see that in the Ministry of others Elijah touched upon it Moses touched upon it other Old Testament people touched upon it and there'll be a time when it'll become a reality in the people of God once again power over nature creation of God the earth shall quake before them and the heavens shall tremble and the Sun and Moon shall be dark now before them I in my opinion means at their direction let's look for a moment in revelation 11 I've mentioned it to you a couple times I feel like I've been remiss by not turning there it's the one book in the Bible maybe it says two books in the Bible I can find picking up with verse three and I will give power to my two witnesses now let me insert parenthetically I don't know if this means two literal people or what I'm not sure there there are many different theological views of this but I don't think it matters maybe there will be two literal leaders I don't know all I know is that other scriptures would tell you that what what these men are endowed with is going to be placed in the body the army will know these things and I will give my give power to my two witnesses and they will prophesy for 1260 days clothed in sackcloth and these are the two olive trees and the two lampstands to stand before the Lord of the earth and if anyone tries to harm them fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemy now I don't know if it means a literal fire or it means like illumise before Saul when Saul turned and rebuked him and said you're a Charlie the devil when will you stop trying to divert or pervert the work of God you will be blinded for a time and instantly this man who had had statuary and position and power and authority popularity in that court was reduced to groping and unable to see an incredible picture of the other the power encounter between two economies and two gods of those economies Saul representing the God of heaven inna misrepresenting something much less had no power over could not resist the words Oh God's messenger so whether it's that kind of thing or whether it's something else whether it's the taunting of Elijah at Carmel as he spoke to the prophets of Baal there are any number of pictures of like this in the scripture I don't know whether it's literal fire even as Elijah called fire down I showed you a few moments ago in first Kings on the the various soldiers that were sent out to get him or whether it means the ability to speak under a great anointing now I want to tell you something that this has happened in this country before some of the covenant errs had this kind of power George Fox moved in this kind of power Wesley moved in this kind of power there have been others in this land who have done this kind of thing in recent centuries and I believe it's coming again this kind of anointing this kind of power coming on the servants of God this is how anyone who wants to harm them must die these men have power to shut up the sky there it is we're ministry power over nature so that it will not rain during the time that they are prophesying and they have power to turn the waters into blood now you know that it happened under Moses why should that happen again and to strike the earth with every kind of plague then the text adds this incredible statement as often as they want to it's almost as though it's at their own discretion but I think I'll call a plague today I don't really believe that I mean I do believe that they have they can initiate but I believe it will be under certain correctives and controls after all it's an ambassador oriole authority that we're talking about here something by permission they're here representing some someone greater than they so they're here as his representatives and so we see that that there will be this incredible power that catastrophes which included earthquakes droughts and plagues they haven't Sun and Moon stars are to be taken on a literal level but also on a symbolic level I don't even know what they would symbolize fully I don't even know what God will do but I'm sure looking forward to seeing it I'm excited this is better than going to Disneyland this will be the darkest period in the history of the earth but it will be also the greatest period in the history of the church God had a big surprise for us and here it is God had something in reserve for that day God had held something back and now he's revealing it we've come to a time when God will triumph on the earth [Applause] [Music] Isaiah saw it I referred to it two or three times already it's in the 60th chapter verses one through three this is a rise and shine for your light has come and the glory of the Lord is risen upon you for behold the darkness shall cover the earth and gross darkness the people but the Lord shall arise upon you and his glory shall be seen upon you and the Gentiles shall come to your light and the kings the brightness of your rising God has a plan God has a plan for the Gentile church God has a plan for the Jew those plans are going to come together like two great rivers God will bring them into culmination in this last day he's going to do something it's going to be so great and he's given glimpses of it to the prophets and it's in fragments all the way through the book you can find a little bit here and a little bit there a little idea here but it's coming together the picture like a great puzzle is but the pieces are coming into place and we see something ahead of us something enormous something immense something powerful something the size that only God could have done it no man will take responsibility no man will dare touch it it'll be so grand and so great no one group will usher it in no one portion of the body of Christ would lay claim to it it will not be captured for this group or that group it'll be captured for God himself [Applause] [Music] [Applause] and the reason for that is found in verse eleven is that the source of the power of Joel's army is God himself you see its reliance upon the Lord it's not reliance on method it's not reliance on technique it's not reliance on our history it's not what we've done before it's not what others have done before us it's not anything that has to do with our ability to control and manipulate and massage and make it happen we won't get it by running ads in the paper it won't happen by the use of the media it isn't going to occur because we have somehow manipulated the right circumstance or situation the only way this will happen is that you and I will fall to our knees in absolute events coming in humility to the lordship of God and say Lord you do it you do it you do it you're naming be exalted you are in control you're the Lord the God of heaven you and you alone are worthy you're the only one that could open the scrolls you're the only one that could bring the conditioning to conclusion you're the only one that could lead this army you're the only name that will be exalted in the land you're the only Savior ever offered to mankind and you can save to the uttermost you can bring them out but you can bring them in you can wreak triumph in a time of difficulty you can bring to conclusion all of these myriads of difficulties and problems you can bring every ruler and every nation and every government to their knees because you're the Lord and the god of it but Stan Lord we rejoice in your favor we rejoice to be the people of God today we thank you O God that you are Savior and Lord we thank you O God that for this magnificent plan that you have we thank you O God for this army that's being conscripted today and called out and formed we thank you for the empowerment that's to come we thank you for that that you've already given us Lord we know we live in the already and the not yet it's beginning but it's not yet what it's going to be it's it started but it's not yet culminated it's it's it's here but it's not here it's here in part it's not here in the hole and yet Lord we believe and we ask today Lord standing here today we ask for that that's coming tomorrow Lord give us the power give us the authority give us the endowment that we need today to meet today's challenges Lord give us the healing give us the deliverance give us the evangelism give us the nurture that the church may be triumphant that the church may be what she's supposed to be not because we want to be triumphant in ourselves Oh God but that we want you to triumph that the name of Jesus would be exalted and that the Lord God of heaven would have his place [Applause] hallelujah [Applause]

Channel: Ashley Collishaw

Views: 1,586

Rating: 5 out of 5

Keywords: john wimber, holiness, christianity, charismatic christianity, vineyard ministries

Id: muyFezu2OIg

Length: 88min 13sec (5293 seconds)

Published: Tue Sep 18 2018