So lets deal with our first topic. When touching on the end
times and what it will take in order to make it through to the end, I am almost
always found speaking of the need for wisdom. This somewhat makes sense. But in
a lot of ways, it doesn’t make sense. Why would wisdom be what is absolutely
necessary? Wouldn’t it make more sense that what we need is a game plan or some
formula? There is never a formula.
How can we define wisdom? I would like to suggest that our
current understanding of wisdom is inadequate. For most, wisdom is what we gain
with knowledge. It is an understanding or common sense of sorts. But there is
an ultimate wisdom. There is a wisdom that is attributed to being with God from
the very foundations of the earth (Proverbs 8). This wisdom cries out in the streets. It declares the
ways of God. It makes known His paths. It speaks to the righteous, but rebukes
the fools. This wisdom that is found over and over again in the Book of
Proverbs (specifically chapters 1-10) cannot be our conventional wisdom. It
cannot be something that comes with knowledge.
Even knowledge is not rightly understood. If the fear of the
Lord is the beginning of knowledge, then what shall we say of the atheists?
There are some very intelligent atheist and agnostics. Are they without
knowledge? This knowledge surpasses
words. This wisdom goes beyond
having smarts or experience or common sense judgment. These are two concepts
that the Bible speaks heavily upon, but few believers comprehend. It is not
beyond anyone to grasp these concepts. In fact, it is quite the opposite. But
these words need to be apprehended (which usually comes from being
apprehended by them).
So when we speak of wisdom, what are we indicating? First
and foremost, the Book of Proverbs gives personality to wisdom. This
personality seems to line up very closely with the personality of the Holy
Spirit. The same is true for the characteristics given to wisdom. It is for
this reason, that I think that wisdom and the Spirit are synonymous. That does
not mean, however, that if we have the Spirit that we are filled with wisdom.
We must nurture the Spirit within us. We must learn to
listen and hear what the Spirit says. We must seek understanding. The kind of
wisdom that will get us through the end times is this: a wisdom that expresses
the ultimate path and choice of God when all other experience up to this point
has never given us any bases to look back upon. What do I mean by that? When we
live a life that is very safe, we can learn how to survive. Even when we move
to a new environment where we aren’t sure how to adapt, we eventually get into
the swing of things. This kind of wisdom is not necessary for that.
Imagine a scenario where everything you have ever learned up
to this point cannot tell you one iota or shred of wisdom of how to respond.
Here is an example: your son runs up to you and cries, “My head! My head!” and
then falls to the ground. What do you do? Most would say to take him to the
doctor. What if you’re living in the middle of the “wilderness” (lets say
central Montana where the nearest doctor is 30 miles away)? What do you do?
Even in this example, there are bits that can inform you of
what to do. Past experience can play a role in deciding what to do next. For
most of us who don’t live in these places where we are 30 minutes away from the
nearest town, we can’t fathom what the options are. Lets take this a bit
further.
Lets say God is speaking to your heart to take in the Jews
in the last days. You need to provide a place of refuge for them. It doesn’t
matter if you live in the city or in the country. When it happens, how do you
let them know they can run to your place? How will they know they have a safe
haven there? How will you stand up for them? What will you do? Where will you
hide them? What if you’re found out and you need to send them onward? How will
you know when and where to send them?
These are the kinds of questions that nothing can prepare
you for. You can study the Underground Railroad. You can look into the history
of World War 2. Just because you learn a couple techniques of what others did
does not constitute that you will know what you should do. It takes a very specific kind of wisdom. It takes knowing
what the Lord has to say. That is the only thing that will get you through to
the end. And if He decides that you get found out and are killed, that is up to
Him and not you.
But on the note of “how will they know to come to you,” you
obviously can’t put up a sign on the door. It is at this that there are a couple ways to look. The first is one
that says we need to get in contact with the Jewish community. We need to let
them know we're friends and not foes. Then the will feel comfortable to flee to
us when they need it. But even this seems manipulative and as though it doesn't
fully trust in God. The other option is equally as difficult. It is to do
nothing but trust that God will provide those people and speak to your heart
when the are coming and when they come. In a sense, this is exactly what seems
like the legitimate option. But in another sense, it seems to be totally
opposed by reason. I am all for communicating with the Jewish society around
us. How can we say that we stand with Israel and then ignore the Israel within
our own towns or cities? But I don't think that our ultimate reason for
communicating with them ought to be "to build relationships" so they
know that we're safe. That is still promoting a lie and a deception. Our
reasons must be pure.
This kind of struggle is ultimate. It will find you out in
every way. If there is anything within you that will say, “I’m not willing,” it
will be brought to the surface. God is not playing games. If you have an
addiction or are in sin, God will be ruthless with you to pluck it out. You
will undergo chastisement and suffering before they do. In order to be a
priestly people to Israel, we will need to undergo similar suffering. We will
need to understand where they are coming from so that we can minister to them.
It takes a certain kind of character that does not come
about in a day. This will take years to harbor. It will all be the work of the
Holy Spirit. In the end, we will not be able to take any kind of credit for our
character or wisdom or love. Which, to bring up wisdom again, we will be
required to give answer to the Jewish people for their suffering. If you think
that playing nice because they’re going through a hard time is the correct way
to speak with them, then you are sadly mistaken.
If God gives you a sharp reply, then you speak sharply. If
God gives you a gentle answer, then you speak gently. If God would give you a
personal revelation of such and such circumstance to speak a prophetic word,
then you speak in faith. If God tells you to say to them that they are under
judgment and to continuously push that button that they are out of the will of
God and under chastisement, then you do it. If you are called upon to say
nothing, then you give no answer. If you are told to give a layout of the whole
end times, then you give an overview of the end times.
It all comes down to what God says, and not what we say. If we speak or act out of flesh, then we
have forfeited all. This is part of what it means to be priestly. The priest
would walk up the altar by a ramp. This was so that the robe would not lift up
and expose any flesh (even a foot). The priest was to wear a certain thing, act
a certain way, pray a certain way, and minister a certain way. Everything was
to be conformed to what God called priestly, and not to what other nations
called priestly. The priest taught the ways of God. So when we read of the
Pharisees in the New Testament, one of the first questions should be, “Where
are the priests?” If you read the Old Testament, it doesn’t take long to
realize: like priest, like people.
If we are faulty in any way, then we will bring a faulty
foundation to the redemption of Israel. This is a calling for ultimate
sanctification and purity. We won’t be able to buy, sell, or trade. Why, then,
would we expect to have medical, grocery, mail, internet, or any other
convenience that we have in modern times? It will take wisdom to make it through
this. It will take God speaking to us as a prophetic Body. Community is not an
option. Community is the only way we can survive.
Sunday morning church isn’t enough. As much benefit as it
might bring, there is an ultimate calling to daily fellowship. We must learn to
go from house to house daily. We must
learn to have all things common. If our brother needs a coat and we have 2, we
give them one. How else will they survive if we store up for self and lock self
away? This is life and death. The very teachings of Jesus and Deuteronomy will
determine whether we live or die. If we aren’t one with each other, then we
cannot be to Israel what we must. We will continue to give only a religion, but
will not have the life necessary to breath into them (1 Kings 17:19-24).
The second thing I want to communicate is that it will not
be easy to house the Jews. Paul tells us they are the enemies of the Gospel for
our sake. Why would he say it is for our
good? There is something in witnessing to the Jew that is more difficult than
witnessing to anyone else. They are not only stubborn, but have an ingrained
disdain for the name Jesus. They have “suffered by that name for 2000 years.”
I would recommend doing some research into their history.
You will find that even under the name of Jesus Christ they have been
persecuted. During the time of the bubonic plague, Jews weren’t getting sick.
So they were blamed for the plague and genocide commenced. The reason they
weren’t sick is because they kept to the Kosher diet as prescribed in Leviticus
11. During the middle ages, the Catholic Church spread the rumor that certain
Jews were using Gentile blood while making their motzah. They were killed.
During the inquisition, Jews were herded like cattle into their synagogues,
where the buildings were then burnt to the ground. Hitler publicized himself as
a Christian. The Nazi soldiers had crosses and their uniform had their own
German version of “in God we trust.”
This enmity runs deep. There is something intrinsic within
Jewish nature to reject and abhor the name of Jesus. If you think you are going
to take them in and they will respect you and treat you kindly, you are wrong.
They will be in panic mode, and the things they might say will be completely
other than kind. They might bring up their tragic history and blame you. They
might search out for any false motives and hold that over your head. They might
degrade you. They might even be the reason why you are handed over to the
authorities and murdered.
It will not be an easy thing to take in the Israeli. They
that are Israel have seen their God at Sinai. They are able to scrutinize and
see through any falsity. When we have our little religious prayers that are
self indulgent, when we have our religious festivities on Sunday morning, when
we have our midweek Bible Study, when we have our “corporate worship,” do any
of these things bring an authenticity? Is there anything contained within it
that is more than religion? I ask this as an honest question for honest
assessment.
Many places that meet on Sunday morning are shallow. They
don’t have the authentic reality to display to Israel and drive them to
jealousy. Everything that we offer on Sunday morning is what the Jew can
receive in their synagogue. Nothing will suffice less than the awe inspiring
reality and presence of God that would cause for them to fall upon their faces
once more and cry out, “The Lord, He is God! The Lord, He is God!” Do you live
in that kind of reality? Are your friends and family stupefied?
I’m telling you that it takes more righteousness than what
the Pharisees obtained. We like to read our New Testaments and see Jesus call
them out in their sins. But what if the tables were turned? What if it was our
religious functions and religious leaders that are being examined? How would
they hold up? Are their lives governed and constituted by the Holy Spirit and
the Holy Spirit alone? Do they speak from their own minds, or has God sent them
(Jeremiah had a lot of words to say about those folks)?
I’m not here to challenge anyone’s salvation. I am going to
challenge the faith, as we know it in western society. I started with saying
that the Kingdom of God is essentially Jewish. If that is true, then we ought
to have some sort of Jewish perspective. I like the word Hebrew. It is more
than Judah. The people of God stem back to before Abraham. There is a Hebraic root. Our mindsets and attitudes need to be changed
and brought into a Hebraic understanding. There are a lot of ways that I can
show how this applies. That, however, is for another time.
I only make the point that when we come at the faith from a
Gentile or Greek or Western perspective, we will find that our contention with
the Jews will shake us to the core. It is one thing to have a sentiment for
Israel because it is “God’s people.” It is completely different to have the
attitude of Paul that would say, “I could wish myself accursed for their sake,”
Romans 9:3. What kind of burden must he have had that would cause him to say
such a thing? He rightly apprehended the faith. Not only that, but also rightly
apprehended the end times.
Because Paul was able to see the ultimate purposes for
Israel, the Church, and the nations, he was able to make such a statement that
would start with wishing himself accursed and end with ecstatic praise (Romans
11:33-36). This kind of view will change everything. It is apocalyptic, but it
is also glorious. To rightly apprehend (which is to say, be apprehended by)
this point of view will shatter any previous conception of the faith. Anything
that is found wanting or shallow is either cast aside or dug into further. I
can’t simply speak clichés. I can’t simply pray for the peace of Jerusalem.
Because I know the coming judgment of God, when I pray for the peace of
Jerusalem, I am praying for that judgment that will bring redemption and an
ultimate peace that unless the judgment come, we would never have seen or
comprehended that peace.
My religion can’t be trite. I cannot allow myself the
privilege of simple sentiment. There are ultimate purposes that are going to
take place. If I am not mature to be used of God in that time, then I will
either be put aside or fall away. This is crucial. Triviality will sustain us
for this time, but when the sun sets and all is not well, how then will we make
it? When persecution breaks forth, and the Antichrist is creating hell for
God’s people (Jew and Christian alike), how will we bear it? It takes something
bigger than the view we currently have.
It takes the glory of God. This will strip everything from you.
Anything that is not conformed to His image will come to the surface. Even in
my speaking of these things and the harshness that we will be called upon to
endure, things are rising to the surface. If you have any kind of contention
that would rage against Israel and their purposes (for whatever reason), then
you have already shown that you are against God and His purposes. It isn’t that you are too zealous for the
Church or whatever other reason you want to bring. This will find you out.
There is a scandal in specificity. I don’t know precisely what it is, but to
get specific brings about rebellion. We don’t want God to choose this over that. We don’t want God to be specific.
In God being specific, we find that our knowledge and
understanding does not suffice. We thought we understood and knew full well the
plans and intentions of God. We thought we understood and comprehended His
character. But when He chooses something that is other than what we had
supposed, it suddenly challenges to the core. It isn’t about Israel. It is
about us. The reason we kick against this is because we wanted their calling. We wanted to be the hot shots.
God has put it together so that in even considering this
perspective will test and try our hearts. This is why they are enemies of the
Gospel for our sakes. To even consider
that we ought to go to the Jew first, and then to the Greek challenges our
intentions. To even consider that they will suffer with us challenges us. I thought we were the people of God. I thought the Antichrist
overcomes the saints. They aren’t
saints! They are the people that have continually rejected their God since they
came out of Egypt! They crucified their own Messiah! Why should they have
anything to do with God’s Kingdom?
And in the very questions – if they are going through your
mind – you display your own rebellion against God. This is deep stuff.
Everything is stacked against us and is stacked against God. It is made to look
as though this is impossible. We’ll see how many truly do believe “With God all
things are possible.” This is my warning. Take heed to it. It will not be easy,
and in taking up this kind of mindset and motive will bring against you all of
the forces of darkness that have up to this point been able to yawn and say,
“Jesus we know and Paul we know, but who are you?”
The realities that are all around us at every moment that we
haven’t up to now been able to perceive and recognize will become tangible. It
is for this reason that I want to next speak about the cosmic and eternal perspective,
which is dealing with the principalities and powers of the air.
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