New Year's Message 2005

This generation unlike any other is about to experience some of the most cataclysmic events recorded in human history. As we write this in late 2004, a tidal wave has killed 120,000 in Asia. The wave, according to scientists, traveled at 500 mph and was at times 40 feet high. The impact of the water caused the earth to literally shake on its axis according to experts. These are the beginnings of the type things we are in for as time moves on toward the Second Coming of Jesus. We are the third generation spoken of in scripture- the first being the generation that came out of Egypt, the second being the generation living at the time of Christ's first visit to earth. THIS generation is the generation at the last that will be the most passionate, perilous and prophetic. We are living in such times and have been called to the kingdom for such a time as this. No other time in human history will see and experience the drama that will unfold for us. That should give us both pause and praise and as the Psalmist declares, "the people which shall be created shall praise the Lord." In the end, ALL glory will go to Jesus!

By Chris McDonald

TEXT: Psalm 102:16-21 - When the Lord shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his glory. [17] He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer. [18] This shall be written for the generation to come <HEB: "the generation at the last">: and the people which shall be created shall praise the Lord. [19] For he hath looked down from the height of his sanctuary; from heaven did the Lord behold the earth; [20] To hear the groaning of the prisoner; to loose those that are appointed to death; [21] To declare the name of the Lord in Zion, and his praise in Jerusalem;

    As we write these words, the world is stunned at the tragedy that has befallen southeast Asia. More than 120,000 people have lost their lives due to an 8.9 earthquake that shook the oceans surrounding Thailand, Sri Lanka and Indonesia and caused a 40-foot wall of water to travel 500 mph into the coasts of those countries. The death toll is certain to rise because in the aftermath of this tragedy disease will certainly set in along with other dangers. I read one report the morning before writing this message that crocodiles were literally chasing the people fleeing inland attacking those not fast enough to escape their grip. Jesus spoke of such events in His Olivet Discourse that these times would precede His Second Coming:

Luke 21:25-26 - And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; [26] Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.

         If there was ever an event where scripture was literally fulfilled it was this past weekend when "the sea and the waves" roared as hundreds of thousands of people were instantly drowned. Neighbor, this is just the beginning. I believe we're going to see more tragic events like this unfold in the months and yes years, if the Lord tarries that long, to come. Men's hearts will fail them for fear because what man will see "looking upon those things which are coming on the earth," will not be a pretty picture. The heavens and the earth are about to be shaken and things wrote about in scripture nearly 3,500 years ago may very well be on the brink of fulfillment in THIS GENERATION - the generation at the last!

Three Generations - Two Past, One Present Leading To The End

       As we have written before in previous journals, there are three main generations mentioned in scripture. These generations span about 3,500 years of human history dating back to Moses till now.  At the center of ALL three generations was the nation of Israel.

• The generation of Moses that came out of Egypt and saw God's glory on Mt. Sinai

• The generation on Earth at Jesus' First Coming - mainly the nation of Israel who rejected their Messiah

• The generation on Earth at Jesus' Second Coming - the CHURCH AND National Israel both holding prophetic keys to end-time harvest

        God the Father, had spoke to the Jewish nation many times in her past, which spanned over 3,500 years from Moses to Christ. There were two main generations He seemed to have earmarked for great things  - the generation of Moses at Sinai and the generation of Christ during His first sojourn here on earth. Both those generations had tremendous prophetic destinies on them, yet both suffered great loss and never fulfilled their callings on earth which was to be a beacon of light to the heathen around them.

       THIS generation, the generation of the CHURCH AND ISRAEL,  also carries on it an even deeper call and destiny than those two because of the time we live in. All things are rapidly transpiring before us en route to the Great Tribulation period when God brings Israel and the rest of the world through tremendous judgment to redeem the apple of His eye - JACOB, back to Himself. Much of what we read of in Daniel and Revelation was written for the time we live in at this very moment. Give that thought deep meditation neighbor. Let it sink in good. We hear of "bible" days being great in the past, well I believe "bible" days are here and prophetically speaking - "even at the door."

        The scourge on the two prior generations was unbelief and sadly, the same elements of unbelief THEN are present today, as the message of the Cross has been basically rejected. Israel rejected the same message which I will deal with more in a moment. It is these three generations and these three alone that are mentioned in the panorama of events surrounding God's plan for Man in these final days before harvest and judgment.

        The prophetic voice of the first generation at Sinai through Moses fell on deaf ears and hardened hearts, which was underscored and seen in the rebellion at Kadesh Barnea. (Numbers 13-14) We'll never know until we get to heaven perhaps just how much destiny and glory God was ready to pour out upon that generation of Old Covenant believers had they just believed. But their unbelief sends us a message down through the generations today that miracles in themselves do not and never will produce great Christian character.

         God revealed Himself in miracle power more to the Sinai generation than any other outside the generations that witnessed the glory and majesty of the Son of God in the flesh. , THIS generation which carries with both a mandate and mantle to bring in the final harvest, will be earmarked by great manifestations as well of God's power but we should heed the lessons learned from the failings of the first and second generations.

       The failure in the wilderness highlighted Israel's gross rebellion and unbelief against God and it highlights a fundamental issue with the human heart today. Miracles in themselves do not make intimate hearts for God on their own. Miracles, as great as they are, do not cause us to really trust God as we ought to, even though many would argue, "well we have to have faith if we're seeing miracles." But faith in miracles is not the same as faith in the miracle producer! Many want a quick fix and many times in God's mercy and grace He gives us those. But those quick fixes usually only wind up showing us how utterly helpless we are without His continuous guidance and care and a deep rooted love that produces the godly character to receive those miracles. The hearts of a good many who witnessed the signs and wonders IN Egypt, never came out of Egypt. Egypt was still in them even as they watched God do wonder after wonder. No other generation saw more than the generation of Moses and Joshua, yet when it came to cases they chose a golden calf and died in unbelief and fear at the gate of the Promised Land instead of trusting God.

    Paul, when writing of this generation to the Hebrews, said Israel heard the gospel but didn't mix it with FAITH, and thus many in the first generation perished in unbelief:

Hebrews 4:1-8
Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. [2] For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. [3] For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. [4] For he spoke in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works. And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest. [6] Seeing therefore it remained that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief: [7] Again, he limited a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. [8] For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.

        Because of the destiny on the nation and the Lord's intentions to bring them in to a place of full destiny, He was very patient with them time and time again. His love reaches out to us many times as well, too many to number really, before judgment finally falls - on both a nation and an individual. Moses brought the Law written by the finger of God, yet the nation would rather dance before a golden calf. Joshua offered them rest, yet they murmured and complained that the task was too great to enter in.  Paul said the first generation of Moses "heard the trumpet" of Mt. Sinai and could not endure it.  Even Moses stood there shaking in fear and awe of this tremendous eternal moment.

        The voice they heard spoke to them in such a way they said, "we can't endure this, don't speak anymore;" and God listened. Sinai represented a choice for Israel just as it represents a choice for us today - Law vs. Grace. Moses brought down Law for sure, but he also brought down a pattern for a tabernacle where God wanted to dwell. Israel chose to have "do's and don'ts" instead of seeking to become a dwelling place for God. God wanted to reveal Himself to Israel through intimacy, not a set of rules He knew they could not keep. But instead of entering into rest and intimacy with the Father, Israel stood at a mount of blackness, darkness and tempest and rejected the sound of the trumpet of God's voice. The writer of Hebrews called it a  "voice of words."

Hebrews 12:18 - For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest, [19] And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard entreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more: [20] (For they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart; And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:) [22] But ye are come unto mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, [23] To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, [24] And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.

Deut 33:21 - He chose the best land for himself; the leader's portion was kept for him. When the heads of the people assembled, he carried out the Lord's righteous will, and his judgments concerning Israel."

     The error of the first generation is really the most dangerous area of concern for us today as well. We're so busy with our religious activity we don't hear the sound of the trumpet and the voice of words of our Heavenly Father anymore. We'd rather do our religious duty than enter into rest. We'd rather go through our religious motions and formulas instead of just resting in what Christ has done for us and seeing HIS life lived through us. You say, "well duty is important." Yes it is without a doubt. But our duty is not out of constraint, it should be out of a willing, burning, passionate heart for Jesus where nothing else matters but our service and devotion to Him.

        The first generation hardened its heart against God and missed out on something greater than eternity itself. Remember this about God. Before He judges a nation, or even an individual, He always brings chastisement and grace FIRST. He always gives space to repent and ample opportunity for us to make our hearts right before Him. God knows if our hearts are right, then our actions will be right. We worry so much about the symptoms of ungodly living without examining root causes for our failure and sin. It's a simple issue of love and where our passions rest. Jesus said a key earmark the last days would be upon us is the fact the love of many would wax cold.

Matthew 24:12-13  - And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. [13] But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

        The Lord never moves quickly and presumptuously in bringing destruction and removing Himself totally from a situation. His long-suffering is LONG friend and you and I had better be grateful it is for if it wasn't we'd all be DEAD this very second. I get amused when I hear people claim God is a God of the second chance. God is a God of the third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, 100th, 1000th, chances. God's mercy in reality never runs out, but He does reach a point many times where He WILL move in judgment and justice. The day is coming when the gloves will come off and this earth will experience His wrath.

        Many of David's Psalms highlight the fact that the earth will rejoice when this day comes:

• Ps 48:11- Mount Zion rejoices, the villages of Judah are glad because of your judgments.

• Ps 97:8-9 - Mt. Zion hears and rejoices  and the villages of Judah are glad  because of your judgments, O LORD.  9 For you, O LORD, are the Most High over all the earth; you are exalted far above all gods.

• Ps 105:7- Great is the LORD our God; his judgments are in all the earth.

• Isa 26:9-10 - My soul yearns for you in the night; in the morning my spirit longs for you. When your judgments come upon the earth, the people of the world learn righteousness.  10 Though grace is shown to the wicked, they do not learn righteousness;

• Rom 11:33- Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!  How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!

• Rev 16:4-6- water, and they became blood. 5 Then I heard the angel in charge of the waters say:  "You are just in these judgments, you who are and who were, the Holy One,  because you have so judged;  6 for they have shed the blood of your saints and prophets,  and you have given them blood to drink as they deserve."

• Rev 16:7-9 - And I heard the altar respond: "Yes, Lord God Almighty,  true and just are your judgments."

• Rev 19:2 - for true and just are his judgments.  He has condemned the great prostitute  who corrupted the earth by her adulteries.  He has avenged on her the blood of his servants."

• Ps 99:4-5- The King is mighty, he loves justice-- you have established equity; in Jacob you have done what is just and right.  5 Exalt the LORD our God  and worship at his footstool; he is holy.

• Ps 89:14 - Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne: mercy and truth shall go before thy face

        Never forget what I just stated. God is merciful, but He is also just.  JUSTICE and JUDGMENT are the habitation of HIS THRONE. When God passes judgment it's always laced with His just character which never condones sin. Isaiah wrote that even when the wicked are judged they learn righteousness, yet when grace is shown, they seldom do. Mt. Zion rejoices at the judgments of God.

Isa 26:9-10 - My soul yearns for you in the night; in the morning my spirit longs for you. When your judgments come upon the earth, the people of the world learn righteousness.  10 Though grace is shown to the wicked, they do not learn righteousness

        The saints will one day rejoice at His judgments as well.  Paul said His judgments are "unsearchable." We're about to enter a season when our intercession as Saints of God will be the catalyst for the coming judgments on the earth of this last generation.   Israel had hardened her heart long before Christ appeared to her in the flesh. At Sinai, they heard the sound of the trumpet and took not warning. Paul said in Hebrews they "refused" to hear the voice of God and in doing so "perished." Israel wondered in the wilderness for 40 years and an entire generation was killed off by God before He would bring them into the Promised Land of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Hebrews 12:25 - See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven:
 

The Generation At The Messiah's First Coming

        The generation on earth at the Lord's first coming did the exact same thing. Jesus had lovingly pleaded with His nation to repent of their sin and acknowledge His messianic claim to rule over them. His credentials were impeccable:

• The Davidic lineage from which He sprang

• The village of Bethlehem in which He was born

• The town of Nazareth in which He was raised

• The compassion He demonstrated

• The courage He displayed

• The wisdom He manifested

• The miracles He performed

• The message He proclaimed

• The AUTHORITY He exhibited

John 7:46  - The officers answered, Never man spoke like this man.

        All the above trumpeted His Messiahship, the fulfillment of Mount Zion, that Paul spoke of in Hebrews. It was with justifiable reason, therefore, that the disciples through Jesus was going to become the King of Israel - that finally the yoke of ruthless, relentless Roman rule would be broken. At last, they believed, under the Messiah's reign Israel would once again know the greatness and glory which had been theirs almost a thousand years earlier under mighty King David. But their hopes and dreams were not aligned with that hour of history. Christ's purpose was not to destroy Rome's rule over Israel but to destroy Satan's rule over Adam's fallen race.

1 John 3:8
He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

        Through the centuries, the Jewish leadership had corrupted the inspired writings of Moses and the prophets of Israel with their oral law and vain traditions. And now, only a vestigial skeleton of pure, God-given, Judaism remained. The religious leaders instituted laws to interpret laws. And in so doing, they developed a legalistic self-righteous system that had little resemblance to the Mosaic Covenant that God had instituted with His people. To be frank with you, God's heart at Sinai was never to give Israel "rules," but to have her in covenant relationship with Him through love and intimacy. In Christ, God offered Israel the same thing again. He's offering that to us today in THIS generation as well.

        Many of the Pharisees then  were corrupt hypocrites. In the words of the Lord, they were, "whited sepulchers," well manicured on the outside but decaying and smelling on the inside. They had become "blind leaders of the blind." The holiness of Jesus condemned their sin, and the truth of Jesus rebuked their error. And tragically, through lies, distortion, manipulation, and false witnesses, they misled the Jewish people. This, in spite of the fact that His flawless life and selfless ministry met all the criteria set forth in the sacred writings of their ancient sages, the very Scriptures to which the Jewish leadership outwardly claimed allegiance to ultimately became the "stone of stumbling" around their necks. The very SON OF GOD stood in their midst and they refused Him on earth once again.

Matthew 23:27
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchers, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.

Matthew 15:14
Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.
 

It's Always Been The Cross

        In this great plan of God, the steps of God the Son, would unerringly wind their way to a hill outside the northern wall of the City of Jerusalem. There, at Golgotha, the place of the SKULL, He would, as the true Passover Lamb, "taste death for every man." (Heb. 2:9)

Hebrews 2:9
But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.

        Jesus knew in intimate detail what was to befall Him in less than a week at Calvary. He knew the humiliation, pain and death He was facing. With a saddened heart - amazingly, not for Himself, but for His beloved nation - He informed His disciples that He was leaving. He tempered the almost unbearable shock of His departure, however, with the certain promise of His return. To His beloved but unrepentant nation. He said,

Matthew 23:39
For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.

        His nation would not respond to His messianic claims then and as I write this in 2004 I'm afraid that we are in no place whatsoever to throw stones at this second generation because we don't respond any better today. That is said because we know MORE than both generations combined knew about the ways of God, yet we still refuse to believe Him. If we DID believe Him as we ought to, the world around us would be different in the sense they would KNOW there is a CHURCH in the earth that loves God. That knowledge would bring anger and wrath, not the sickening embrace of a sinful society most of the church world has around it today.

      This generation will be the most passionate of any generation ever known. The true church of these last days will love Jesus more passionately than we ever have but it will ignite the passions of the wicked against us unlike anytime in human history as well. Persecution will come, even to the American church. We don't understand that right now but we will!.

        The second generation who refused to hear the voice of God was judged in A.D. 70 when Jerusalem was destroyed by Titus of the Roman Empire as a final testimony of what happens when a nation or individual hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning.

The Last Generation
 

Psalm 102:18-22
This shall be written for the generation to come: and the people which shall be created shall praise the Lord. [19] For he hath looked down from the height of his sanctuary; from heaven did the Lord behold the earth; [20] To hear the groaning of the prisoner; to loose those that are appointed to death; [21] To declare the name of the Lord in Zion, and his praise in Jerusalem; [22] When the people are gathered together, and the kingdoms, to serve the Lord.
 

        Setting this foundation brings me to our text for this message and the subject of this New Year's journal - the generation at the last.

        I believe we are living in the generation that will see the SECOND coming of Jesus. Jesus addressed this final generation in Matthew 24 and 25 as He told His disciples what the signs of the times would be on earth prior to His second return. One of the earmarks of this final generation, according to Christ, would be the rebuilding of Zion. Jesus likened His return to the budding of the "fig" tree, a type of National Israel. He said when you see the branch tender, and putting forth leaves, know that summer is nigh and it is "NEAR," even at the doors. In 1948, Israel became a nation once again after nearly 1900 years of dispersion in the earth since nation's destruction in A.D. 70. Jesus said that the generation on earth at the time that happened would not pass until "all these things have happened." The clock is ticking again and it says "ten to midnight."

Psalm 102:15-16
So the heathen shall fear the name of the Lord, and all the kings of the earth thy glory. [16] When the Lord shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his glory.

Matthew 24:30-31
And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. [31] And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: [33] So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.
 

Matthew 24:34
Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.

        The generation He spoke of was not the generation of the disciples because they died without seeing the Lord return to Earth a second time. The generation He was speaking of was the one who would be on earth at the time He returned. One full generation from 1948 till now, which is usually about 70 years or so, will end in 2018. Without trying to become a date setter, I feel comfortable enough to say that we're that close to an incredible change of events on planet Earth and in heaven. Jesus is coming SOON! JESUS IS COMING SOON! There is a sound of a trumpet going forth all over the earth at this present time that says, 'GET READY.' Prepare yourselves for the coming of the Lord.

        When you read Matthew 24 you notice that the angels are going to be sent "with a great sound of a trumpet," to gather together the elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. Whether the term "elect," means Israel, or believers, it really doesn't matter. Something BIG is about to happen and happen soon friend. Time is precious right now. I don't think anyone reading this journal who lives in America is the same person you were prior to what happened to our nation on 9-11-2001. That infamous day changed us all I hope in seeing just how temporal our lives on earth really are. We are not promised tomorrow friend. Our life is but a vapor. There is a SOUND being heard throughout the land today from God's Spirit for the church to "repent," and to open our hearts to JESUS so He can do His mighty works in the earth.

        There are three characteristics about this generation I want to touch on briefly. Number one, this generation will be the most passionate of any generation on earth - be it past or in the future.

        In this present hour the Holy Spirit is emphasizing three specific face of Jesus:

• The Bridegroom

• The King

• The Judge

        The picture of Jesus as Bridegroom is a picture of a Christ BURNING with PASSION for HIS children! Prophetic scripture tells us that before He returns again to earth that the generation on earth at that time will understand Him once again that role. Right now the Holy Spirit is unlocking that revelation to millions across the globe. As bridegroom, He is also a PASSIONATE KING that is getting ready to shake the heavens and earth unlike anytime in human history.

Isaiah 13:13
Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the Lord of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger.

        Fire in scripture is a type of passion. It's a type of God's passion for both His holiness AND His creation. It is mentioned several times in Isaiah when dealing with the dynamics of the generation of the last and the attitude of those on earth prior to the Lord's return:

• Isaiah 33:3  - At the noise of the tumult the people fled; at the lifting up of thyself the nations were scattered.

• Isaiah 33:10 - Now will I rise, saith the Lord; now will I be exalted; now will I lift up myself.

• Isaiah 33:12 - And the people shall be as the burnings of lime: as thorns cut up shall they be burned in the fire.

• Isaiah 33:14 - The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?

• Isaiah 33:17-18 - Thine eyes shall see the king in his beauty: they shall behold the land that is very far off. [18] Thine heart shall meditate terror. Where is the scribe? where is the receiver? where is he that counted the towers?

• Isaiah 33:21-22 - But there the glorious Lord will be unto us a place of broad rivers and streams; wherein shall go no galley with oars, neither shall gallant ship pass thereby. [22] For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; he will save us.

• Isaiah 33:24  - And the inhabitant shall not say, I am sick: the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity.

        Such an awesome hour of fury and glory will be comparable to the display of power God showed during Israel's sojourn out of Egypt but in greater intensity! It is on the heals of this passion that great judgment is coming to planet Earth. Isaiah said it, "when judgment comes the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness." (26:9) The Judge is the Bridegroom who is also the King who is the LORD of the HARVEST. God's judgments are real and they are stated over and over in scripture from Genesis to Revelation.

        Part of this generation's call will be the restoration of the first commandment to first place in the lives of those living and worshipping God. The people of God will love the Lord with ALL of their hearts. PASSIONATE and extravagant lovers of God will become the NORM in the church again, not the exception. The weak and broken in the church will supernaturally be empowered to love God with all their hearts. The AMERICAN church will experience this as well. God knows if there is ever a part of the church on a world-wide basis that needs that type restoration and revival - it's here in America!

        On the heels of this return to passion, a great harvest of souls will be brought into the kingdom. More people will be saved than ever before in history. The power of God will be released, and God will bring the nations to His side. Just think about how many individuals are in the U.S. alone! When the King who is passionate for His creation shows His power, multitudes will come in a very short time to saving faith in His finished work. It's already beginning to happen in countries such as Korea, South America, China and Indonesia. Tragedies as the one that just struck SE Asia are going to be part of this drama because when tragedy strikes people tend to look upward- even if but for a season. If you don't believe that just look at our nation after 9-11-2001. It didn't last long, but for the short time that it DID take place, people were asking and seeking after something more than temporal blessings.

 Judgments Bring On A Different Type Of Passion During This Last Generation

Rev. 9:15  - And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.

        The Bible states something staggering about the last generation concerning judgments that will come from heaven: one-third of the entire earth will be killed by God's temporal judgments.

        One-third of the earth, one-third of the human beings on this planet will die related to catastrophic events in the final events and days before the Lord's physical return to Earth. Plagues, earthquakes, pestilence and war will destroy billions of people. God's end-time judgments have already begun in some small degree. We are hearing the whisper before the shout. What took place a few days ago in Asia where more than 150,000 people have died is just the tip of the iceberg.

        One thing about these judgments that will be clear to all to see is this - THESE JUDGMENTS ARE COMING FROM HEAVEN. God will leave no room to wonder who is doing this. The earth will reel with anger towards heaven and blame God for their plight. John said that despite the judgments, man still hardened his heart and blasphemed God.

Rev. 9:20-21 - And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk: [21] Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.

Rev. 16:9-11 - And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory. 10 And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain, 11 And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.

        John saw the earth blaspheming and blaming God for the plagues that killed over a third of all humanity. The thing to understand though is this. God is in heaven and man can do very little to inflict pain against the Creator because of the constraints of God being in eternity and man on earth. What wicked man CAN do is inflict pain on the representative of God on earth - the believer! In response to the judgments and the wicked's anger at heaven - persecution will arise in such a form that we have never seen in human history before. That is why this generation will in many ways be the most PASSIONATE - both for the good AND the evil - than any other in its past or future. Jesus spoke of people betraying each other in the last days before He comes. The reason for this betrayal is the passion that will be running BLOOD hot in the veins of millions because of what is befalling the human race. Many will blame God and blaspheme. Others will take out their anger and frustration against the saints:

Luke 22:16-17 - And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolk's, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death. 17 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake.

Mark 14:12-13 - Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son; and children shall rise up against their parents, and shall cause them to be put to death. 13 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
 

Matthew 24:10-12 - And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. 11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. 12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. 13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

        It is recorded in scripture that the believers will be hated in the end of times. Brothers shall betray brothers; fathers will betray sons; children will rise up against their parents - AND CAUSE THEM TO BE PUT TO DEATH. This sounds pretty passionate to me! This generation will be the most passionate of all generations. Get ready. Lines are being drawn in the sand right now that will only get more pronounced as we go into the new year and months ahead. Choices will have to made NOW that will affect eternity later. Stands will have to be made between the truth and apostasy and which side of the fence we put our stakes in. The tenor of the anger against the child of God is just going to become more pronounced, more brazen, more bold and more real. Tough times are ahead child of God. This is a warning to you about what is ahead.

Jeremiah 12:5
If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? and if in the land of peace, wherein thou trusted, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan?

This Generation Will Also Be The Most Perilous

2 Tim. 3:1-8  - This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. [2] For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, [3] Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, [4] Traitors, heady, high minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; [5] Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. [6] For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, [7] Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. [8] Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.
 

        This last generation will not only be the most passionate, it will be the most perilous in terms of false doctrine and the attack of Satan on the truth of the gospel of Christ. Paul called these times "perilous" speaking of not so much conditions in the world - but in the apostate church that will arise in the end times. Satan's subtlety as an "angel of light" comes quickly but he is a "roaring lion seeking whom he may devour." Satan always uses fear, deception and manipulation of truth to control people's lives. In this last hour before Jesus comes, truth will be like a needle in a haystack of lies. The greatest area of conflict will be that over the atonement of Christ and the preaching of the Cross.

        In many denominations traditional Christian doctrine and faith has collapsed in the face of the popular immorality of our day, especially that of homosexuality and sexual relations outside the realm of marriage. Beginning in the early 1990s, the institutionalized church began ordaining homosexuals for the ministry without a thought and the onslaught has not stopped. What has happened is those who oppose such are labeled as divisive, judgmental and lacking love. One of the greatest weapons the enemy uses to deceive people is the word "love." The premise is "God is love," which is a scriptural premise. God IS love. But the deceptive nature of this banner that comes along with modern preaching is that anything under the banner of love must be accepted. That's WRONG and deceptive. Any kind of love that does not result in the absolute obedience to the Word of God is unscriptural and a deception.

John 14:21
He that hath my commandments, and keeps them, he it is that loves me: and he that loves me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

Hebrews 12:5-7
And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaks unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: [6] For whom the Lord loves he chastened, and scourges every son whom he receives. [7] If ye endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chastened not?


        Love without godly morality is wrong. In 1996, 75 Presbyterian congregations declared themselves "willing to ordain gay and lesbian persons." Meanwhile as early as 2000, the legislative committee of the United Methodist Church has recommended that the church open the door to homosexual practice by stating it is "unable to arrive at a common mind" on the subject.

        In these last days, the Word of God is not running for re-election! It needs no reconfirmation. No national convention, no denominational vote, no compromise can negate it. The legislative committee of the United Methodist or the Presbyterian churches will not prevail on Judgment Day. Ten thousand bishops may say this is right, but neighbor, they won't save your soul on the day you stand before God. All of us, myself at the top of the list, will stand alone on that fateful day and give an account of our lives to God. We will be judged according to His Word, not man's word, not the trend of the times, but the eternal Word that never changes. In these last days, these issues will become more and more prevalent and the lines will be drawn deeper in the sand than ever before.

"Ye Shall Be As Gods" - New Age Humanism In Religious Wrappers

Genesis 3:3-8 - But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. [4] And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: [5] For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. [6] And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
 

        Satan's tactics often mirror his own rebellion. When he came to Eve saying, "you can be like God," he was laying the trap for mankind that caused his own downfall. He knows the allure to mortal man on being like the Almighty. Such teaching is rampant in the modern Christian world today and it is taking on various forms and philosophies. NO denomination is innocent in this be them Baptist, Pentecostal, Charismatic, Catholic or whatever. Writers, teachers, preachers and sadly entire denominations are invoking New Age philosophies that state "we are all gods," and put man in the driver's seat of his own life, PURPOSE, and destiny.

        These doctrines come to us in the sense that people want to "build up" man's self esteem but it is a frightening parallel to the same deception Satan brought to man 6,000 years ago.

        Some of the catch phrases are "you can be like God," "didn't Jesus say 'greater works than these shall YOU do?," and "God is committed to the law of faith so He cannot resist YOUR power." The result is that the American Jesus and the American God is reduced to a genie in a bottle, obligated to our three wishes, no longer Father God with a sovereign will.

        It would take me 10 more pages to write on this subject. As the year progresses we plan to deal with more of these issues head on but I want to say this. In these latter days, we all as Christians need to ask ourselves "What is of God?" "What is a deception? How can I discern the difference between what is false and that which is true?

        A simple, yet not so simple answer to all these questions is found in one statement - the preaching of the Cross of Christ! If the gospel you are hearing is not pointing you to the finished work of Christ - it's a false gospel, driven by a false spirit, pointing you to a false Christ. And the modern church is FULL of this type preaching today. The word of Faith movement that boasts of its "revelatory" superiority over the rest of the Body of Christ has done more to promote the current apostasy than any other to be quite frank. Christian television networks such as TBN and others have not done anything more but to transport these heresies across the world. Most of the preachers on these networks are not preaching CHRIST, they are preaching "YOU CAN HAVE ALL THINGS YOU ASK FOR." It's not a gospel of repentance, submission, humility, and holiness, it's a gospel that says if you're not driving a Mercedes or if you take as aspirin, something is wrong with your faith.

        Another huge delusion sweeping modern Christendom is the purpose driven life craze. Neighbor, your purpose in life is summed up in one statement - "BECOMING LIKE CHRIST." Nothing else. And the only power on earth and in heaven to make you and I like JESUS is the power of the HOLY GHOST, who works within the parameters of our faith in the finished work of CHRIST! We preach CHRIST CRUCIFIED! We preach the power of the CROSS OF CHRIST. We GLORY in NOTHING except the CROSS OF CHRIST! As Paul said, we are determined to know NOTHING, but CHRIST and HIM CRUCIFIED! Anything else is shifting and sinking sand in these final days.

        You had better watch what you see, who you listen to and what you read and intake into your spirit. If what you is reading is making you believe YOU have to do something to earn brownie points from heaven, you are being deceived! Grace is not cheap and it's not something we casually sit by and just let happen. True salvation will produce GOOD WORKS unto eternal life. Good works are a PRODUCT of grace, not the other way around. Grace does not come because of works. Satan is wooing millions away from the cross because it's easier for man to take his own salvation into his own hands than to just believe God. But it's a gospel that will lead to death.

2 Cor. 11:1-4
Would to God ye could bear with me a little in my folly: and indeed bear with me. [2] For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. [3] But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. [4] For if he that cometh preaches another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.

1 Tim. 4:1-4
Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; [2] Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; [3] Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. [4] For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:

2 Tim. 4:1-4
I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; [2] Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. [3] For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; [4] And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

Galatians 1:6-9-  marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: [7] Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. [8] But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. [9] As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

Galatians 6:14
But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.

       This generation will be the most perilous when it comes to hearing the truth. You need to allow the Holy Spirit to guide you and keep you from error in these last hours before rapture and the Lord's return.

This Generation Will Also Be The Most Prophetic Of Any Generation Prior To It

Joel 2:28-29
And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: [29] And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.

Acts 2:16-18
But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; [17] And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God,I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: [18] And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:

 

        In closing, let us look at the prophetic nature of this last generation. We believe that this generation will be the MOST prophetic of any seeing the great harvest of souls spoken of by prophets. There will be a great falling away from the truth, yes, but there will also be great glory as well upon the true church who loves her bridegroom and is in intimate communion with her redeemer. I believe there are at least 12 earmarks of this final generation which will be on earth before the Lord's return:

        The last generation on earth prior to the Lord's return will:

• Have an earnest, abandoned passion for Jesus and little or no tolerance for lifeless religion. - We're seeing that in the millions who have left organized church to seek God on their own and have intimate relations with Jesus.

• Rediscover the need and joy of hearing the voice of the Lord. They will be empowered by the inner voice of the Spirit and GROUNDED in the WORD. These people will not be swayed by fads but will be sensitive ONLY to the Holy Spirit.

• Be uniquely equipped for service for global evangelism and release of God's glory upon the earth. Billions of souls are coming to Christ.

• Be more concerned about growing people, than growing churches. Relationships will be paramount, not brick and mortar.

• Be in many ways the most creative and have a message of power unlike any other. Hearts will burn once again when this generation speaks.

• Be intentional in reconciliation and embrace the strengths found in other cultures. We will seek to honor others and learn from them instead of tearing down and isolating ourselves from those who can enrich our lives. We will understand the true meaning of assembling together, not just coming to church every Sunday just to come.

• Be a generation who have a mature understanding of spiritual warfare. We will begin to understand the interactions of the spirit realm and be more adept at receiving help from angels and resisting dark powers. We will understand the CROSS and know that the blood of Christ has destroyed the powers of darkness (Col. 2:14-15).

• Be a generation focusing on the "city" church, not just our own congregations. They will see their church as one expression of the church of the Lord Jesus in the city.

• Be a generation that embraces the value of God's SILENCE in the secret place and will not manipulate and contrive false signs and wonders. Intercession will take on a whole new realm of meaning when we "listen" to what God is telling us, and stop telling GOD what to do!

• Be a generation called not just to give to the poor, but to be in relationship with the poor. Causal giving to soothe our consciences will be replaced by vital action, where our lives will intertwine with the poor, and we will see we have lessons of humility and service to learn that only they can teach us.

• Be a generation of true worship. Cultural restrictions on worship will fall, replaced with a Biblical understanding of the experience and POWER of worship.  Our hour long services on Sunday will be replaced by days of extended waiting in His presence.

• Be a generation that understands ISRAEL in the plans and purposes of the Lord and rediscover our Jewish roots of the faith. Gentiles won't be called on to become Jews and Jews won't be called on to become Gentiles. But we will both see each other, not as enemies as we have in the past, but as vital partners of MINISTRY and PURPOSE.

    This is the generation at the last. You and I have been called to the Kingdom for such a time as this. Embrace this time child of God. Seek the Lord in 2005 with all your heart like never before. Keep alert and ask the Holy Spirit for deep discernment. Ask Jesus to open your eyes and help you see the TRUTH and know that TRUTH as to be free this upcoming year. Intercede and pray like never before. Remove bitterness and unforgiveness and repent of all sin that you know is there. Ask the HOLY SPIRIT to reveal those sins you DON'T know that is there! Humble yourself under HIS mighty hand this year and pray that we all come together in the faith in 2005 to see a great harvest of souls for Jesus!

        May God bless you deeply and we look forward to serving you through the written encouragement of these journals again in 2005. Blessings and Grace to you and yours. Praise God