On August 22, 2005, I had a dream in which I was walking down a seemingly nice, tranquil street. Suddenly, I had the sense that there was great danger coming toward me from the west. As I turned to face it, I saw a most sinister looking dark cloud rolling along the ground. It stretched in a straight line for as far as I could see, and it was very close. I fled to the house nearby, and I knew if I could get inside I would be safe. When I tried to open the door it was locked, but I had the key in my pocket. As I reached for the key, I was so overcome with fear that I froze and could not even get it out my pocket to open the door. The dream ended.
The dread in this dream troubled me greatly. I sought the Lord for several days for the interpretation, and inquired of a prophetic friend, Bob Jones. It was revealed to me that this cloud was a deadly virus that would arise out of Asia (to our west). The message of this dream is that there is a place of safety, and we have been given the key to it, which is the key to the kingdom. However, fear can keep us from being able to enter it. Even though this dark cloud is very close, so is the kingdom very close.
Prepare the Way
First, there is no reason for Christians to fear anything that is coming upon the earth if we have built our houses upon the Rock. We do this by both hearing and obeying the words of the Lord (see Matthew 7:24-27). For the foolish who have not heard the words of the Lord, or who have heard but not obeyed, there is still time to repent, but not much time. The close proximity of the dark cloud in the dream speaks of timing.
We have a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and a sure haven in which we can be completely safe from anything that comes upon the earth. As stated, the key to entering the place of safety is the key to the kingdom the Lord gave to His church. However, those who claim to be Christians, but in truth are living for themselves and not Him, according to the ways of the world and not the kingdom, have but a short time to repent.
The Scriptures are very clear about the things that are going to come upon the world at the end of this age. As we are both encouraged and warned in I Thessalonians 5:2-6:
For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night.
While they are saying, “Peace and safety!” then destruction will come upon them suddenly like birth pangs upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day should overtake you like a thief;
for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness;
so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober. Nothing that is coming upon the world should surprise a Christian. Just as Israel had prophets who were shocked if anything happenedthat they did not foresee, and the Lord promised that the glory of the New Covenant would be greater than the former, we can expect a last day prophetic ministry to arise which will not be surprised by anything that comes upon the earth. The Lord’s sheep, of whom it is said know His voice, will be prepared and safely in His sheepfold. Those who do not know His voice, or who do not obey His voice, are very soon going to be in the most severe jeopardy.
There are many Christians who have been doctrinally conditioned to not be able to receive anything which they perceive to be negative. These are not sober as the Scripture above exhorts, but are living in a spiritual drunkenness, a stupor that will prove to be their doom if they do not get sober quickly. Again, the Scriptures are clear about the things that will be coming upon the world.
What’s the Problem?
The tribulations and troubles that come upon the world at the end of the age are basically the result of man trying to live without God. Nothing in the creation will work well if it is not in harmony with the Creator. When this age is over, all of creation will have an eternal witness that such foolishness must never be attempted again.
Even the storms and other natural disasters that will go to increasing extremes are the result of man, who was given dominion over the earth, not ruling rightly because he is not under the dominion of God. Even so, Christians who have been restored to their vital relationship to God, and have been living in obedience to Him, do not need to fear the things that are coming upon the world, and can even begin to take authority over them, preserving whole regions from catastrophe.
There will be a distinction between those who are obedient to the Lord and those who are not. However, those who have been obedient, and have built their lives on the Rock, are not spared just so we can boast of having escaped, but so we can help save those who have been so foolish as to try to live without Him. We must never forget that the Lord desires for all to be saved and would always prefer to show mercy rather than judgment. As the Lord said in Matthew 5:44-46:
“But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you
“so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
“For if you love those who love you, what reward have you?...”
The Lord loves all people, even those who hate Him and rebel against Him and His ways. Like any loving father, He will do good for His rebellious children, even when He knows they will not repent. So in the midst of the destruction that is coming, we will find mercy, grace, and the goodness of God being extended even to the rebellious.
When people experience great troubles, they often ask why God would allow such a thing if He is a loving God. The truth is that He is not the One allowing it—we are. The terrible troubles that come upon the world at the end are our own doing. As we are told in Psalm 115:16, “The heavens are the heavens of the Lord, but the earth He has given to the sons of men.” The Lord will intervene when we turn to Him, but otherwise all that comes upon the earth is the result of mankind’s own foolishness of trying to live and rule without God.
This is not to negate the fact that the troubles which are coming are His judgments, but He is love and even His judgments are motivated by His love for us. In the midst of His judgments He will also be extending mercy, saving those who are in darkness. His judgments are automatic, the result of mankind simply reaping what it sows. We can absolutely be sure that His judgments are just and filled with as much mercy as possible.
As the time of troubles begins to unfold and sin creates problems that are beyond any human remedy, it will be the greatest time of harvest we have ever known. Let those who have been shown grace not condemn those who have been foolish or even rebellious, but rather seek to save them. We, too, were once foolish and rebellious and were shown mercy, so let us also show as much mercy as we can.
We Can Stop the Plague
Because of their sins, after Paul the apostle had recited many of the great judgments that came upon Israel during their trial in the wilderness, he concludes with, “Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come” (I Corinthians 10:11). Everything that happened to Israel in the wilderness is intended to be a revelation to us of how we are to relate to the Lord and the consequences of sin. In Numbers 16, we have the lesson of Korah’s rebellion, and in verses 46-48 we have a very important revelation for us today about how plagues can be stopped, even when the people deserve them (which we always do).
And Moses said to Aaron, “Take your censer and put in it fire from the altar, and lay incense on it; then bring it quickly to the congregation and make atonement for them, for wrath has gone forth from the Lord, the plague has begun!”
Then Aaron took it as Moses had spoken, and ran into the midst of the assembly, for behold, the plague had begun among the people. So he put on the incense and made atonement for the people.
And he took his stand between the dead and the living, so that the plague was checked.
As we see in the Psalms and the book of Revelation, incense usually speaks of prayer and intercession. The above is one of the great examples of how our intercession can stop a plague. As deadly and powerful as this flu which is going to arise out of Asia will be, we can take our stand between the dead and the living and stop the plague.
The Plague
Even though only hints of a plague have yet become public, world health officials are expecting possibly the worst plague to ever hit mankind to soon begin sweeping across the world. It is the result of a strain of the flu virus that is far more deadly than any before it, and it is beyond the power of modern medicine to stop it or contain it. This will soon begin to fill the news. Even so, regardless of what is said on the news or even by prophets, we need to understand that our prayers can change its course, protect our families, our churches, and even our cities.
According to scientists, the avian flu, or “the bird flu,” has the potential to be the most devastating plague to ever come upon the earth. The July/August edition of Foreign Affairs states on the first page: “Scientists have long forecast the appearance of an influenza virus capable of killing unimaginable numbers of people—and avian flu has shown signs of becoming that disease.”
I was given this edition by an official of the World Trade Organization. It is filled with some of the most shocking articles about this by some of the most respected experts in this field. You can read these on their website at www.foreignaffairs.org. You may also want to check the Internet for avian flu or bird flu. However, you will be tempted to panic when you read the things written about it. If you do this study, please keep in mind that panic and fear are our worst enemies as we get ready for this. It is right to be sobered, but we cannot let fear start to control us.
Some of the things you read may not seem to make sense and actually they do not. For example, New Zealand warned that they expect 1.4 million of their 4 million people to contract this virus and nearly 300,000 were likely to die from it. That is an unimaginable number, but if you read on in their report, presently this virus has been fatal to 54 percent of those who contract it. If 54 percent of the people who contract it die, this is far more than they are estimating. However, prayer can reduce even the low number they are estimating, and now is the time to pray for this!
THE DARK CLOUD THE SILVER LINING
As you will read, presently this strain of flu is proving deadly to between 54 percent and 58 percent of humans which contract it, and 100 percent of animals. They have not yet been able to make a vaccine that can combat it, and all confess that they are very unlikely to be able to. Even if they could, many of the companies who have been capable of manufacturing vaccines have been forced out of this business because of lawsuits and other troubles. We have been reduced to just a couple in the world who are capable of manufacturing a vaccine, and their production capabilities are limited. Even if a vaccine can be manufactured, they are now estimating they would probably only have less than a million doses for the entire world, which would be used for world leaders, police, and the military who would need it to keep order in the expected panic.
Again, human problems are now coming to the place where they are beyond human remedy. However, nothing is impossible for God or for those who know Him and obey Him. Regardless of what the world’s best say is going to happen, we need to turn to the Lord and find out what He wants to happen. We can be sure He prefers mercy over judgment.
According to scientists, in the best case scenario if just 5 percent of the population is lost, this would be about fifteen million Americans. To put this in perspective, that would be several times more than those killed in all U.S. wars and all natural disasters combined. This would be taking place in a span of just a few months, and is what some are projecting to be “the best case.” The worst case numbers are simply what Foreign Affairs said, “unimaginable.” This is their story. Again, this can be changed by a tiny lifting of the Lord’s finger. Even so, we need to know what we are facing.
Few are still alive who remember the great influenza outbreak in 1918, which killed hundreds of thousands in the U.S. that are known and possibly many more who were lost without records being kept. The rate of death in some other countries was even higher. It killed more of our troops than the battles of World War I that were then being waged. Avian flu is potentially far more dangerous than this.
World health officials and scientists are united in saying that it is not a matter of if this deadly flu will break out, but when. They are also fairly united in it being the most deadly plague in history. It could strike this year, next, or in a few more years, but it is coming. If the dream I had of the dark cloud was an indication of its timing, it is very close. Now is the time to find that key and get into the house of the Lord, which is His church, His kingdom on the earth at this time.
We Have Authority
Just a couple of years ago a strain of flu broke out and people were dying from it in almost every state. It was in the news continually and estimates of the number of people which would die in every state were published. Bob Jones had a dream that if we would take the authority the Lord had given to us, we could stop this plague. Bob and I stood up in our conference that day and took authority over that flu, praying for it to be stopped in the entire nation. After that day there were not only no more deaths from this flu, it was not even in the news again.
Bob and I have been doing this every year now, and it is obvious to us that the Lord is hearing our prayers and stopping these outbreaks, at least in the areas where we feel we have been given some spiritual authority. If the church will arise and begin to take the authority it has been given, we can stop or at least greatly reduce the death from these coming plagues.
We do know as we get closer to the end of this age that plagues are going to come. As we see in the book of Revelation, some are going to be so devastating that they will kill a third of the people on the earth (which some believe the avian flu could do). These are determined and cannot be changed. However, Christians do not have to be subject to them. We can be protected and we can be a protection to many others. The Christians who are in jeopardy of the avian flu are the ones who have not used the key to the kingdom they have been given.
In my dream, to be safe from the dark cloud that was coming, I had to get into the house, which I knew was the house of the Lord. Just what does this mean? It means that the multitudes of Christians who are not in vital church relationships are in jeopardy. The church is the kingdom of God on the earth at this time. This is what the apostle Paul warned about in I Corinthians 11:27-30:
Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord.
But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup.
For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself, if he does not judge the body rightly. For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep.
To partake of communion in an unworthy manner is to partake of the ritual when we do not have the reality in our lives of what the ritual represents. In this case it is communion or common-union with the body of Christ. Many have been tragically deceived into thinking that by partaking of the ritual they are fulfilling their duty, “having communion,” but that is precisely how we partake of it in an unworthy manner. Rituals such as this are given to us to remind us of our obligations, not to be a substitute for them. If we partake of the ritual of communion, but do not “discern the Lord’s body,” fitting rightly into it and actually having communion as we are commanded in Ephesians 4, we will be weak, sick, and some will even die just as this text warns.
The primary warning that the Lord has been giving me over the last few years has been to Christians who have left the fellowship of the church. I have heard all manner of excuses for this from “we have church when we get together with our friends at Starbucks,” to “wherever two or more are gathered it is church because the Lord is with us.” I believe there is some truth of it being possible to be a church where only two or more can gather, and that any gathering is a part of church life, but it is far from being all that is required of us to have “common-union” with the body of Christ.
It is also true that there is a radical transformation of the church now taking place, and marketplace ministry is one of the growing moves of the Holy Spirit in our times. The Lord wants His church to function twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. However, none of this negates the need for the vital local church life that we need in a local congregation.
The deception that we do not need to be a part of a local congregation is keeping many from the vital relationships of true church life which are necessary for true Christian maturity. After the dark cloud that I saw in the dream passes, there will not be many left with that delusion. Just as Paul warned in the text above, such are weak, sick, and a number even sleep, and those will be the ones most vulnerable to the diseases coming.
As we are told in I John 1:6-7:
If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth,
but if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.
The Greek word translated “fellowship” in this text is koinonia which is far more than a slap on the back and a handshake once a week as we attend service. It is a deep and living relationship which even transcends natural relationships. This is what we have if we are walking in the Light. All who were saved in the New Testament were added to the church. They did not just float around in loose and casual relationships.
Many will try to use the key that they have hidden at the last moment, but they will not be able to because of the panic. Now is the time to repent of the delusions and deceptions that have separated us from the body of Christ. Do not wait until the last minute. I entreat every Christian to flee to the church, not away from it.
With all of its frustrations and disappointments, and at times, boredom, church is the only safe haven for what is coming upon the world. Those who endure the frustrations and disappointments will mature into the now unimaginable joy that the fellowship of the body of Christ will be in the times ahead. If we have fled from all of the dealings that the members of the body need to go through to get to this, then when the body becomes what it is called to be, we will not fit into it. That door will then be locked and we will not be able to get to the key.
Understand the Birth Pangs
We are going to be seeing the spiritual contractions coming upon the world like they come upon a woman in labor. Just as the contractions that a mother experiences become more intense and more frequent as she gets closer to the birth, this will be the pattern for the troubles that will come upon the world. Storms will get worse. Earthquakes are going to get worse. Diseases are going to get worse. Through it all those who know God and are drawing close to Him will experience more glory through the birth pangs of a new age in which Christ will rule over in the earth.
Just as a woman who is going through birth is instructed to find a “focal point” and concentrate on it in order to resist the confusion, we must do the same. Our focal point is the Lord. We must fasten our attention upon Him and what He is doing, not just the things that are going on in the world.
As we are told in Hebrews 12, everything that can be shaken will be shaken so that which cannot be shaken will remain. As the shaking comes, it will make very clear what is of this world and what of is the kingdom that cannot be shaken. As stated, to the degree we have built our houses on the Rock, which is hearing the Lord and obeying Him, the storms and floods may come, but our houses will stand. However, if we do not now heed this warning of Psalm 32:6-11 we will be more foolish than the heathen:
Therefore, let everyone who is godly pray to You in a time when You may be found; surely in a flood of great waters they shall not reach him.
You are my hiding place, You preserve me from trouble. You surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah.
I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you.
Do not be as the horse or as the mule which have no understanding, whose trappings include bit and bridle to hold them in check, otherwise they will not come near to you.
Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but he who trusts in the Lord, lovingkindness shall surround him.
Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous ones, and shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart.
The end of this age is likely still decades away, not years. It is important for us to live with strategy and vision for the future. As the world starts to come apart and collapse, we will be building if we know the Lord and are doing His will. But let us not wait until the shaking begins and the storms come to try to build our houses on the Rock. Now is the time because when the floods come it will be too late.
Also, as these troubles come, our resolve should be as described in Daniel 11:31-35:
“And forces from him will arise, desecrate the sanctuary fortress, and do away with the regular sacrifice. And they will set up the abomination of desolation.
“And by smooth words he will turn to godlessness those who act wickedly toward the covenant, but the people who know their God will display strength and take action.
“And those who have insight among the people will give understanding to the many; yet they will fall by sword and by flame, by captivity and by plunder, for many days.
“Now when they fall they will be granted a little help, and many will join with them in hypocrisy.
“And some of those who have insight will fall, in order to refine, purge, and make them pure, until the end time; because it is still to come at the appointed time.”
We see here that at the very time the “abomination of desolation”is being set up “the people who know their God will display strength and take action.”Like true warriors, those who “know their God”do not run from the sound of battle—they run to it! The Lord is raising up a generation of the greatest spiritual warriors who have ever walked the earth. There will be thousands with the heart of David, thousands with more power than Elijah, and thousands with the anointed preaching of John the Baptist. They won’t run from troubles, but to them. Those who“know their God” will not be hiding, but will boldly confront the great darkness of our time, which at the end will be the greatest darkness of all time.
Some will fall. Some will die. As I wrote in a previous Bulletin about crossing the Jordan, we will have to get used to death being all around us while we keep on going, devoted to simply doing the will of God.
We have a kingdom that cannot be shaken. In the times ahead, that which has been built on the kingdom will become increasingly obvious and distinct from that which has been built on the systems of this present evil age. Those who “know their God,”know that He is above all power and authority and dominion. Through all that comes, those who are abiding in the Lord will exercise His authority, which can change or supercede any condition on the earth.
We Have Nothing to Fear but Fear Itself
The devil uses fear to control people, but those who know the Lord live by faith. The devil is trying to use fear and terror to herd the multitudes into the abyss. As we are both promised and warned in Proverbs 4:18-19:
But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, that shines brighter and brighter until the full day.
The way of the wicked is like darkness; they do not know over what they stumble.
Those who are on the path of righteousness will have increasing light and clarity on their path, growing in confidence in their walk because they can see more and more clearly. It should be our goal to never be surprised by what is ahead of us because we are abiding in the light which enables us to see. However, those who walk in the way of wickedness will stumble about on things that they do not see.
The Unlikely Alliance
The news media are the most powerful terrorists of our time. They presently feed on fear and doom, and there is an inherent deception in the secular media. It is not always intentional, but it is unavoidable by its very nature. When there is no big story, any little thing will be sensationalized to seem big or no one would buy their papers, magazines, or watch their programs.
For example, a couple of years ago shark attacks had the attention of the media because there were no other big news stories. These were so hyped that thousands were afraid to go to the beach, seriously hurting many resorts that year. However, there were actually less shark attacks that year than normal. No one mentioned that far more people were dying in accidents driving to the beach than from shark attacks or other causes of drowning combined. If people really wanted to be safe, they should have stayed out of their cars!
Likewise, more Americans die in car accidents on just two holiday weekends than have died in the entire Iraq conflict. In fact, having been in the military and knowing how many military personnel behave on liberty and are killed in car accidents, it would be an interesting study to see if these soldiers are actually safer in Iraq than they would be at home driving their cars. I am not saying this is so, but it is likely that they are not in much more danger, if any, while patrolling Baghdad than if they were on the interstates.
It is understandable that terrorism receives the kind of attention it has in recent times, as it is one of the most heinous acts a human can commit. Even so, as far as a threat, we are far more likely to be killed in a car going to the grocery store or even struck by lightning than by a terrorist. By us spending so much time, energy, and resources on fearing the wrong things, we sometimes become more vulnerable to things that are much more dangerous.
The media can be factual and still be deceptive by what it covers or by how it covers a subject. Reporters may claim they do not interpret the news and just report it, but that is an insult to the intelligence of their viewers, and not many are buying it anymore. Fifty years ago journalists were some of the most respected of all professionals, but this sensationalization of the news, and the cynicism of the media, has cost journalism its credibility, so it is now viewed as being even less trustworthy than lawyers or even preachers!
Of course, lawyers have developed a similarly negative reputation, and we should be well aware of the erosion of the credibility of Christian leaders which has come in recent times. The cause of this erosion of credibility of all three of these has been the same—distortion, sensationalism, and a lack of integrity. This has often been by just a few in a profession, but it affects the entire profession. It has been the erosion of the credibility of all three of these that has done unfathomable damage to the social order. We are going to need the integrity and credibility of all three to be recovered for what is coming.
For the times ahead, we need a media that has the highest standards of integrity and trust. The media is extremely important in times of disaster and usually does much good in helping people and the situation. How many more would have been lost in Hurricane Katrina if the media had not done such a great job of getting the word out about the threat of this storm, and then provided such help in the aftermath. In such times journalists are often some of the biggest heroes.
Lawyers will be crucial to keeping and restoring order in the times ahead. They will be invaluable in helping to sort out the affairs of families, businesses, and governments.
We will also need prophets with the credibility that can only come from tested integrity and accuracy. We are in desperate need of prophets who hear clearly, see clearly, and speak clearly, refusing to sensationalize or embellish, or use their information for selfish purposes. Truth is the most precious commodity of Christianity and we must not compromise the truth for any reason. Those who are good stewards, faithful, dependable, and incorruptible, are going to be handling information about the future which will have unprecedented value in the times ahead.
Stand Upon What Stands
We have a kingdom that cannot be shaken. The citizens of that kingdom are going to become increasingly obvious. In time they will be the only ones standing with confidence and boldness toward the future. As the Lord Jesus’ own prophecies concerning these times make very clear—we are coming to the greatest times of trouble the world has ever known. However, the good news is, if we have built our lives on the kingdom which cannot be shaken, we will not only survive what is coming, but we will prevail and prosper, as well as be in a position to help those who have not prepared. This is actually the time when the church is going to cross over and begin to possess its Promised Land.
The present world systems are going to be shaking and crumbling. As a sign of this, increasing natural disasters, such as earthquakes and storms, will continually break records for severity. All who continue to think they can run the world without God are about to learn that this is not possible. Those who are “obeying the gospel” will know increasing light and prosperity at the same time the world around them is collapsing. We must not be ashamed of this, but it, too, is a part of the judgment. However, our prosperity is not so we can live luxuriously, but so we can help the desperate, and prepare the way for the coming kingdom.
In Joshua 3:16, we are told that the waters of the Jordan “which were flowing down from above stood and rose up in one heap, a great distance away at Adam.”This could have been translated that the waters of the Jordan “were rolled back all the way to Adam.” It was no accident that this little town was named “Adam.” This was a prophecy that when God’s people begin to cross their Jordan we will begin possessing all of the promises of God we are called to inherit, and death will be rolled back all the way to Adam!
This means all of the death that was the consequence of the Fall will be reversed. That is the good news, and the reality of it will actually be much better than we have even been able to conceive. Now is the time—today is the day of salvation! Today we can live in a kingdom that will never shake, and will surely prevail. Today let your choice be for the Tree of Life—and you will live forever.
Summary
There are things coming down in both natural disasters and plagues that will put terrorism in the back pages of the news. We do not need to fear these things, but we must be sober, and we must be prepared. Now is the time to start praying for our families, our churches, and our cities. Now is the time to take the spiritual dominion to shut in heaven and have it shut on the earth, opened in heaven and released upon the earth.
The worst state that any Christian could ever fall into is lukewarmness. The waves of trouble that are coming in the next few years will rid the church of lukewarmness. However, we will be much better off if we repent of it now. Our God is a consuming fire, and it is not possible to truly know Him and not be on fire for Him and His purposes. Those who are not on fire for God are living in a terrible deception, and the cares and worries of this world are choking out their fruitfulness.
One of the great promises we have been given is that if we seek the kingdom first and His righteousness, everything else will be added to us (see Matthew 6:25-34). If we are putting God’s interests first in all of our decisions, then He will be putting ours first. He can take care of us much better than we can take care of ourselves.
The main interest and purpose that the Lord has on this earth at this time is the building of His church, which is His bride. The church is His kingdom on the earth at this time, and it will be the vessel through which His kingdom is established on the earth. If we are putting His interests first, we would not move to a place just because of a better job, but because that place is where the church is that we are supposed to be a part. Again, if we put His interests first He promises to take care of ours, which He can do much better than we can.
I believe a crucial message that was given in the dream I had of the coming black cloud is how important it is for us to be in His house, His church. The church may look like a mess right now, and may be a mess in many ways, but it will change and arise to become the fortress of salvation it is called to be. You are called to be a part of this. Flee to the church now. Do not wait until the floods come. Find your place in His body!
