America's Last Call

On The Brink Of A Financial Holocaust

David Wilkerson is founder of Teen Challenge, Inc., the worldwide Christian drug and alcohol rehabilitation ministry.  He is the author of  the Cross and the Switchblade, The Vision, Have You Felt Like Giving Up Lately?, Hungry for More of Jesus, Revival on Broadway and many other books.  David and his wife, Gwen, live in New York City, where he serves as senior pastor of Times Square Church.

AMERICA IS RECEIVING HER LAST CALL TO REPENT

(Quote from back cover)

A cartoon appeared in a New York City newspaper picturing the Titanic leaving port.  The ship was renamed The U.S. Economy.  The caption above it read: "Not even God can sink this ship!"

The American dream is going to turn into the American nightmare.  It will occur suddenly—without warning—and no one will be able to explain how or why it happened.  There will be sellers only—no buyers.

A majority of Americans have concluded, "Morals do not count.  Let our leaders do as they please; just give us a booming economy.  Let the good times roll.  All that matters is prosperity!"

God is about to crush this abominable American mindset.  And like the prophet Jeremiah, those who believe in holy, righteous judgments of God will say, "The Lord hath done that which he had devised; he hath fulfilled his word that he had commanded in the days of old..." (Lam. 2:17)

God's Plan
To Protect His People
In The Coming Depression

(Quote from back cover)

"One-third of the world is now suffering economic depression!  No one will ever convince me that America can avoid a full-blown depression.  In fact, I believe it has already begun.  Soon the financial bubble will burst and we are going to be shocked by the blindness and ignorance of our leaders and financial experts.  They have no idea of the severity and suddenness of the coming storm.  Soon the cry will be: Was there nobody in charge? How did this happen?"

Read About:

• The lessons we never learned from the Great Depression of the 1930s...

• Why overcoming Christians need not concern themselves about the Antichrist, Armageddon or the mark of the beast...

• Overcoming fear in these perilous times...

• How to prosper in hard times—God's way...

• How to prepare for the coming depression...

• God's covenant promise to preserve and provide for his people in the worst of the coming chaos...

• and much more.

www.worldchallenge.org

texas@worldchallenge.org

EDITOR'S NOTE:

David Wilkerson never mentions self sufficient Christian Communities as a means to survive during the coming depression, but many of the things he recommends will be found in a lot of the groups that band together to minister to the less fortunate.  In his below article titled, Getting Ready for the End of All Things, he does give Biblical advice we all will want to follow, advice that is more important than any physical preparation.

Wilkerson wrote this series of two books back in 1998 and 99, but don't let the passing of so many years detract us from the prophetic wisdom and insight found in these books.  His predictions over the many years of his ministry have always been shockingly accurate.

Kenneth Uptegrove

Dearly Beloved:

GOD KNOWS — GOD HEARS — GOD ANSWERS.

In my prayer walk today, I asked the Lord what he desires of us in these perilous times. In that sweet, familiar voice I heard: “God’s greatest joy is to behold unwavering trust in his children.” I believe I delight my Lord when I completely trust him while all things are frightful and dark.

As I write this letter, the headline in today’s Wall Street Journal reads, “Mounting Fears Pummel World Markets AS BANKING GIANTS RUSH TO FIND BUYERS” (capitals mine). The subhead reads, “Worst Crisis Since ’30s With No End in Sight.” A lot of very scary things are happening worldwide. No one has answers, only questions: “What has happened? And what is coming next?”

I have dear friends who have lost almost everything: stocks, bank accounts, houses, jobs. We are all going to be affected in some way. And we are all going to have our faith greatly tested. There is no safe haven now but in Christ and his promises.

Now, as I sit in my study — Bible open on my lap, the awful headlines of the newspaper lying on the floor at my side — I plead with the Lord: “What can I say, what can I write to God’s people in such a time as this?”

I have been preaching for over fifty-three years, and I’ve delivered countless messages about trusting God in hard times. But now it cannot be just a sermon. The promises of God can no longer be taken for granted. We are going to be faced with life and death issues. There is no turning back; things will never again be the same.

The Word of God must become our very life, our hope, the ground of our faith. Prayers and intimacy with Jesus must become “praying without ceasing,” plainly talking to him, pouring out our hearts in faith.

David said, “Fear was on every side… But I trusted in thee, O Lord: I said, Thou art my God. My times are in thy hand: deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me” (Psalm 31:13-15).

Keep your Bible close at hand. Every day ask the Holy Spirit to give you special promises to keep you in faith and peace. At the bottom of this letter, I have given you a few Scripture references having to do with trust.

In closing: I have been overwhelmed with praise to God that in these unnerving days he is supplying the funds to carry on all our outreaches to the poorest and neediest all over the world. We are truly casting our faith on God’s faithfulness. Thanks to all who are helping in spite of all the troubling news.

Love in Christ,
DAVID WILKERSON

Psalm 18:2 * Ps. 18:30 *Ps. 31:19 *Ps. 37:40 *Ps. 40:3–4 *Ps. 56:3 *Ps. 56:11

David Wilkerson

Oct. 27, 2008

This message was delivered at Time's Square Church in New York City

Resting In Jesus In Perilous Times

We are to listen carefully to prophecies, but we are not to become obsessed with them.

For years, I have been faithfully warning of a soon-to-come worldwide economic holocaust. Right now, we are seeing this coming to pass around the globe. I have warned that Christians are going to suffer, that there will be great loss and hardship, and already this is happening. Multitudes of precious saints all over the world are now enduring great financial and mental stress.

 As awful as these things are, none of them should be the focus of our energies and ministry. Rather, we must continue proclaiming the love of God the Father and the tender mercy of our Savior Jesus for us.

I know the American lifestyle -indeed, the lifestyles of those in every prosperous nation - are about to change permanently. I know everything is reeling and shaking. But when I get up in the morning, I don't worry, "What are we going to eat? What are we going to wear? What about heat, light, security?" Jesus warned us not to do that.

Instead, when I go to bed at night, I rest in my Father's love. The fact is, I know I am not God and that he alone is in control of all these things. I simply do what the prophet Isaiah did: he put his mind to rest by fully trusting in his Lord. This prophet declared to be­lievers in every age, "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee" (Isaiah 26:3). God cannot lie.

Scripture makes it clear: we are to be alerted and warned by the prophetic messages delivered by godly watchmen. Likewise, we are to heed every prophetic message revealed and confirmed in Scripture. In short, we are to gather all the knowledge we can about the oncoming storms, so we can pre­pare our hearts for whatever we will face.

But we are not to let fear or anxiety consume our thinking, dominate our minds or take hold of our hearts. Darkness is certainly coming and judgment is at our very door. But as God's people, we cannot allow any cloud of darkness to hide the great light of his promises of love and mercy toward his people. We must be well informed by God's Word and his prophets, but we are not to dwell on prophetic knowledge so much that it takes over our lives.

The devil would love for this to happen. He knows he can't get us to doubt the Lord's Word concerning judgment, so he will attempt to take us to another extreme and drive us to a fearful obsession with perilous times.

Simply put, Satan wants to rob you of all hope by consuming you with foreboding thoughts. But you cannot figure out the future through being totally preoccupied with this. In reality, it can get you bogged down in fear and obsessing about frightful events.

The apostle Paul reassures us with this instruction: "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things" (Philippians 4:8, my italics).

In other words: "You have heard all the warnings. Now, take heed to what God's Word reveals and to what his watchmen are saying. And, finally, fix your thoughts on Jesus and his goodness."

In a time when great judgments were falling on the nation all around him, Isaiah testified he had a double portion of peace.

The same wonderful outlook that Isaiah had in the perilous times of his day is available to us also. This promise of rest applies to "all whose minds are stayed on him "

Isaiah was overwhelmed by what he saw happening in the world around him. But Scripture reveals he enjoyed great peace. How did he come into such a place of peace, with everything he saw? There were two reasons for it:

First, as judgments were poised to strike the nations, Isaiah was in constant communion with God in prayer. "Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O Lord, have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee " (Isaiah 26:8). Isaiah was prepared for anything because he was already "praying without ceasing."

I must ask you: as the storm rages, are you going to the Lord in prayer, as Isaiah did? If you are, then you're gaining strength, because your mind is becoming fixed on your sovereign heavenly Father's love, and he is continually revealing his power to you and encouraging you that you'll make it through.

It is not God's will that any of his children face the perilous times ahead with paralyzing fear.

The Lord does not desire that bibli­cal prophecies and warnings frighten us. Instead, here is Jesus' heart on the matter, stated very plainly: "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be trou­bled, neither let it be afraid" (John 14:27).

In Matthew's Gospel, Jesus prophesied of world events to come that sounded frightful. He spoke of wars, pestilence, earthquakes in various places. And he warned his hearers, "You are going to be afflicted, and some of you will even be killed. Iniquity will abound. False prophets and messiahs shall arise deceiving many."

Later in Matthew, Jesus explains his reasons for forewarning of these catastrophic events. He says he told us these things so we would believe in him when we saw them coming to pass.

Jesus wasn't trying to put a burden of fear on us. Rather, he simply doesn't want us to be surprised when we are hit by awful storms. He doesn't want our faith to be shipwrecked when suddenly we face incredible suffering. Most of all, he wants us to believe there is a Lord over all these awful things, a Father who is loving enough to warn us about them and keep us through them all.

Isaiah preached hope in perilous times.

Isaiah was looking beyond all the things that were happening, toward a greater vision God had given him. In this vision, Isaiah saw the Lord coming to wipe away the tears of his children, remove their burdens and deliver them from all guilt and fear:

"It shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the Lord; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation... He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the Lord hath Spoken it" (Isaiah25:9, 8).

Here is the second reason Isaiah had come into a place of peace despite all the upheaval around him. He was saying to us - indeed, to believers of every age - in effect: "You who live in the very last days can also have this double portion of peace. Abandon yourself to simple trust in the Lord, your Rock."

"Trust ye in the Lord at all times: for in the Lord Jehovah is [your] everlasting strength" (26:4). "Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation" (12:2).

God does have a word of hope for this hour.

For many months, I have searched and studied the Scriptures, pleading with the Lord to give me a message of hope and encouragement for these hard times. My spirit has cried out, "Lord, please speak a word to my heart for your children, for you alone have the words of eternal life. Only you can speak a word of comfort to us in such times."

The Holy Spirit answered my prayer, speaking the following to my heart: "I am going to give you a single promise from my Word. And if you will commit your very life to it, this word will keep you through any and all perilous times."

Beloved, I know if we will especially embrace this one verse, fully believing it, it will be a daily power-source of faith. Here is the promise the Spirit showed me:

 "YOUR FATHER KNOWETH WHAT THINGS YE HAVE NEED OF, BEFORE YE ASK HIM" (Matthew 6:8).

In Luke 12, Jesus enumerates the things he says our heavenly Father knows we need. Those needs are, in short, food, drink and clothing.

"Therefore, I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on... If then God so clothe the grass, which is today in the field, and tomorrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith?" (Luke 12:22, 28).

Jesus speaks of grass that is full and green today but tomorrow is cut down. He would have us remember he gave it life and care. We dare not think he cares for our needs less than for grass. He knows full well what we need, whether it is food, finances or clothes.

Jesus added, "All these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things" (12:30). Again Christ reminds us, "Here is all you need to know: your heavenly Father knows what your needs are. He has already enumerated them."

My theme now is this: GOD KNOWS, AND THAT IS ALL THAT MATTERS.

God will never abandon his "little flock."

Jesus promises, "Rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you. Fear not, little flock" (Luke 12:31-32). If we will simply trust him, our Lord will bless us with all we need.

If you are concerned for your family's welfare in the coming days, I have good news for you: Your children are God's children. And he cares for your loved ones more than you do. Jesus knows exactly what you all need to survive.

HE KNOWS ABOUT YOUR NEED TO HAVE A ROOF OVER YOUR HEAD. HE KNOWS EXACTLY WHAT YOUR RENT BILL OR MORTGAGE PAYMENT IS EACH MONTH. HE KNOWS ABOUT THE MOUTHS YOU HAVE TO FEED AND THE AMOUNT OF FOOD IN YOUR CUPBOARD. YOU CAN TRUST HIM FULLY TO MEET ALL OF THESE NEEDS, BECAUSE HE PROMISES TO DO IT.

Tragically, many people are going to grow bitter in the coming days because God won't answer their prayers to protect their present lifestyle. Many have never known the kind of suffering we now face.

But the Lord says to rich and poor alike, "Don't fret about your worldly possessions. Give me quality time and trust me. I am going to take care of all your future needs. You will be supplied all the essentials you need to get by."

There is one lesson every believer must learn and practice.

At this moment, world events are moving so fast that nobody can keep up with them. Even as I write these words, the American stock market has lost billions. The implications of such things are too deep and complex to fathom.

Our faith is anchored in this: OUR HEAVENLY FATHER KNOWS US -HE KNOWS EXACTLY WHAT WE NEED AND WHEN WE NEED IT -AND THE VERY FACT HE KNOWS IS PROOF ENOUGH THAT WE ARE UNDER HIS CARE. HE DELIGHTS IN US, AND WE ARE SNUGGLED IN HIS BOSOM, SAFE AND SOUND.

Daniel said of the Lord: "He knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him" (Daniel 2:22). God knows all about the dark days ahead. And he knows that even this darkness cannot obscure his face from us.

Indeed, our clear path through hard times will be found only in trusting the Lord. He is calling us today to have a simple, childlike trust in his faithfulness.

Let us all keep our eyes on Jesus. Let us trust his great love and care for us. "Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you" (1 Peter 5:7). 

---This letter introduced the above article---

Dearly Beloved:

In my prayer walk today, I asked the Holy Spirit to give me a word of hope and strength for these troubling times.

I want to share with you what I heard the Lord speaking to my concerns. I strongly believe God still speaks to his children today. Let me summarize what was made known to me:

There may still be a short respite from the financial crisis — but it would be a mercy call to repentance, both to wicked society and to an apathetic church.

It will come down to this:

Do I truly believe that my God of the Bible always was, always is, and always will be?

If I believe God always was, is and will be, then I must believe nothing is impossible to him.

If I believe he is truly God, then he can and will do the impossible. I must believe he is all he claims to be: my Father, my hiding place, my shepherd, my provider, my keeper, my strength, my all-in-all. I must believe he will do for me what seems impossible in my times of trouble.

Beloved, hold to your confidence. One day our precious Lord will explain it all to us. So, in the meantime,

"Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward" (Hebrews 10:35).

"For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end" (Hebrews 3:14).

Brother, sister - THIS IS ALL GOING TO PASS. We will all stand before Christ's throne one day, and I hope to fight the good fight of faith until that day. I do not want to stand before him disillusioned, fearful, unbelieving. All I have now to bring him is my faith, my unwavering confidence in the saving power of his shed blood.

A closing word: Financial panic and confusion still grip the world. We are all going to be affected in one way or another — even churches and all missionary endeavors.

I pledge never to beg or plead for finances. I will not send you desperate letters or pressure you in any way. We will keep giving to all our missions outreaches to orphans, feeding ministries and other works, as the Lord provides.

I have trusted God for finances for over fifty years of ministering to the needy, through three major reces­sions. He has never failed! He will see us through this one, too.

Our prayers are with all God's people who receive our messages. God will not fail you, either. Hold fast now to your confidence in the Lord.

Yours in Christ,

DAVID WILKERSON

DW:bbm 10-27-08

Getting Ready for the End of All Things

The question that arises for many Christians is, “How do we prepare for the tumultuous events to come?”

by David Wilkerson | October 6, 2008

In his first letter to the church, Peter speaks of the last days. He states bluntly: “The end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:7–8).

Peter also mentions the last days in his second epistle. Moreover, in that letter he refers to his own limited time on earth. He tells the church, “Shortly I must put off my tabernacle” (2 Peter 1:14). He’s saying, in other words, “God has shown me my time on earth is short.”

Peter knew the Lord would soon take him home. Yet before that would happen, the Holy Spirit gave this disciple a word for the church about the very end of days. And so, in Peter’s second epistle we read the last words of a dying shepherd to the believers in his charge.

This godly man was fully aware the world would never believe his message about the end times. Clearly, Peter’s message was meant for the New Testament church, both in the time he wrote it and for every succeeding generation of believers. It is a message of warning, as Peter prophesies the following:

“There shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies… And many shall follow their pernicious ways… And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you….

“There shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of his coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation…. (They will) walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government [the laws of the land]. Presumptuous are they, self-willed, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities….

“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

“Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?” (2 Peter 2:1–3, 10; 3:3–4, 10–12).

As Christians, we believe God’s Word about the times to come. And we receive Spirit-directed warnings from God’s holy watchmen today. Indeed, we see the handwriting on the wall.

Still, an important question arises for every Christian today, as it must have arisen for believers in Peter’s day.

The question that arises for many Christians is, “How do we prepare for the tumultuous events to come?”

I think it is normal to want to know how we’ll survive the frightful times to come. When the storm hits, destroying all roots of recovery, what will we do about jobs, housing, food, clothing? As a grandfather, I am concerned about the future of my children and grandchildren, wondering, “How will they make it through the times to come?” I believe this is a legitimate concern for any follower of Jesus.

Amazingly, Peter gives no advice about physical or financial preparations. He says nothing about where to put our money to safeguard it, nothing about how to face a housing crisis, nothing about how to survive global warming or inflation. Peter simply does not go there. Why?

I believe it is because Peter had already experienced poverty, and through it all he had experienced God’s faithfulness. As Peter literally followed in Christ’s footsteps, he lived with no money. In order to eat, the disciples had to pick corn from the farmers’ fields. At one point, when they needed money, Jesus instructed Peter to look inside the mouth of a fish, where he found a coin.

Peter knew what it meant to sleep under the stars, with no bed or pillow. He followed Jesus without a job or any means of support. He owned a single change of clothes and one pair of sandals. In short, Peter had to rely on God’s provision every day for his needs. And day after day, Peter saw those needs met faithfully.

Now, in his message about the end times, Peter focuses not on having needs met but on the importance of preparing our hearts. Thus, he says, “Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness…?” (2 Peter 3:11).

In the face of all that is to come, Peter zeros in on character issues.

The apostle is asking us, in essence, “What is in your heart in these last days? Who are you becoming as the end times approach? You already know God will take care of your physical needs. But are you preparing yourself spiritually?”

If this sounds unusual to you, consider what Jesus had to say about preparing for the last days. He also left us very little advice about physical preparations for end-time upheaval. Like Peter, Jesus warned of tumultuous times to come: wars, rumors of wars, ethnic and tribal conflicts, famines, earthquakes, persecution, floods of iniquity that would cause the love of many to grow cold. He also predicted that armies would march on Jerusalem to wreak awful destruction, razing the temple to the ground.

In the face of this terrible upheaval, Jesus says little about how to survive the times. He doesn’t speak about how to prepare for the loss of a home or job or the crashing of the economy. Rather, he instructs us, “Take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things” (Matthew 6:31–32).

Peter echoes Jesus’ words when he says, “The end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer” (1 Peter 4:7). In short, he says, “Here is basic instruction for preparing for the end times: Be sober-minded. And stay calm, no matter what happens. There is no need to panic. Instead, take it all to prayer.”

Right now, many Christians are in panic mode. People who have testified all their lives that God is their keeper are now scrambling in fear as the storm clouds gather. Peter is saying to them, very simply, “Bring all your natural feelings under the control of faith.”

Next, Peter tells us to bring everything to God in prayer: “Watch unto prayer” (4:7). Only by seeking the Lord will we be able to control our anxieties about the times. According to Peter, the blacker things become the more we should walk in the peace and rest of the Holy Spirit.

Right now the secular world is desperate to find calm in the chaos. According to the Wall Street Journal, corporate leaders and others in high-stress jobs are turning to yoga, mantras, Chinese chants. As Christians, we have a God who promises to keep us in perfect peace, if we will fix our minds on Christ above anything happening in the world.

Peter tells us we should be concerned with one thing above all others in these times.

What should our one focus be? We find it in the next verse, the final exhortation of this dying apostle. Peter writes: “Above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8).

Peter’s summation is, “If you want to know what survival is all about — to see how God is leading his people through these times — then show unconditional love to your brothers and sisters. That has everything to do with the future of the church of Christ.”

Here, Peter says, is our most important concern. In light of the great mercy God has shown each of us — in light of his unconditional forgiveness toward our past sins, his compassionate longsuffering toward us — we are to reach out with mercy to those who have sinned against us. And we are to forgive them as if they had never committed those sins.

You may be wondering, “What does forgiveness have to do with the end times?”

Perhaps you feel let down by the promise implied in the title of this message, “Getting Ready for the End of All Things.”

Maybe as you read the title you thought, “Great, Pastor Dave is going to show us specifics about how to survive the troubling times.” Already I’m halfway through my message, and yet you may feel you haven’t received any specifics from me.

This was the feeling of a Christian who wrote to our ministry recently. He said, “You have faithfully warned us about the economic holocaust you see coming. I believe you are a righteous man. But surely the same Spirit of God who showed you these things to come will show you how we are to survive. A good God wouldn’t warn us and then not tell us what to do to make it through the storm. Please, give us a word.”

Another Christian wrote, “I feel cheated. I asked you for financial advice about where to invest my money and how to save my family when the economy goes into a depression. You told me to go to prayer and ask the Holy Spirit for direction. It was the same old theological copout. I need specific answers.”

Beloved, what I am sharing here is the Lord’s specific word on the subject. Peter was surely a godly man, and through him the Holy Spirit shows us exactly what God says about how to face these last days. Peter is telling us very clearly, “Here is the main issue, your most important preparation: Get your heart ready. If this matter isn’t dealt with, all other preparations are in vain. At the end of all things, stay calm. And stay on your knees. Above all else, practice unceasing mercy and love toward your brothers and sisters. Forgive and cover their sins.” “Charity shall cover the multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8).

In this last verse, we are commanded to “cover” those sins committed against us — meaning, we are not to expose the sins of others. “As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God” (4:10). Who has hurt or wounded you? Who has spread gossip about you? According to Jesus, if you do not forgive and cover that sin, you are like the man who was forgiven a great debt but later choked a man who owed him a few dollars.

Let me give you a glimpse into why this issue of forgiveness is so important in these times.

We have over 100 ethnic groups attending Times Square Church. Christ has unified the many races and ethnic groups here in brotherly love. The sign above our church doors reads, “The Church That Love Is Building,” and that love is Jesus.

I realize this racial unity makes our church a target marked by hell. In a world of racial hatred and tribal upheaval, God has blessed us with a powerful testimony. Simply put, Jesus is the source that breaks down every barrier, including that of race.

Several times in our church’s history, we have felt the fury of demonic forces coming against our loving unity in Christ. And there is no greater weapon used by hell than the unforgiveness of fellow believers.

You may say, “But I’m not holding onto any grudges. I don’t have any bitterness toward anyone. I only have pure love for my brothers and sisters. When someone sins against me, I never expose their iniquity. So, I don’t see how Peter’s admonition applies to me. What does he have to say to me about preparing for the end times?”

The truth is Peter’s message here has everything to do with the future of the church of Jesus Christ. You see, God is preparing his church for a latter-day outpouring of his Spirit. According to the prophets, the Holy Spirit will come in a great wave upon the earth, filling God’s people with joy when the world is in upheaval. This won’t happen, however, in a church where people hold grudges and wounds are left unresolved.

Peter is asking us, “Do you want to be ready for what’s coming? Do you want to be fully prepared when all things are being shaken? Then make sure you have nothing in your heart that hinders the flow of God’s Spirit. Something wonderful is just ahead. Make sure you are not left out of it.”

What is this last-day outpouring of the Holy Spirit all about?

The prophets — from Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel down to the minor prophets — reveal that in the last days God’s Spirit will once again fall on a prepared people. This event is referred to as the “harvest rain.” It is promised to be greater even than the “former rain,” which was the Spirit’s mighty outpouring at Pentecost.

This prophecy of a last rain refers to two rains that occurred annually in Israel. Israel’s seasons were opposite to ours today. The former (or first) rain came in the fall, watering the newly planted crops. This typifies what happened at Pentecost, when the “first rain” fell in a great outpouring of God’s Spirit. That rain watered the seed of the Word, and it grew and spread to become the worldwide church we see today.

Israel’s “last rain” came in the spring, ripening the crops just before harvest. Zechariah refers to this last rain, an outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the last days: “Ask ye of the Lord rain in the time of the latter rain; so the Lord shall make bright clouds, and give them showers of rain, to every one grass in the field” (Zechariah 10:1).

Moses said there simply could be no harvest without another rain. The Lord said to Israel through him, “If ye shall hearken diligently unto my commandments…I will give you the rain of your land in his due season, the first rain and the latter rain, that thou mayest gather in thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil” (Deuteronomy 11:13–14).

Finally, Joel gives us a vibrant picture of what it looks like when this harvest rain comes:

“Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice; for the Lord will do great things. Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field: for the pastures of the wilderness do spring, for the tree beareth her fruit, the fig tree and the vine do yield their strength. Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month.

“And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the fats shall overflow with wine and oil. And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you. And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed. And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the Lord your God, and none else: and my people shall never be ashamed” (Joel 2:21–27).

Joel is saying, in effect, “Wake up, church! Look around you. What you see happening has been prophesied. It is beginning to rain, and the Lord has made the clouds bright and full of water. The Spirit is preparing all things for the last great harvest.”

Satan knows about this final rain to come and the glorious harvest that will follow it.

The devil knows what is written in God’s Word. And he is determined to hinder the great harvest he knows is coming. He has unleashed a furious attack on the church, using every weapon he can to remove the peace of God’s people. Indeed, many Christians have been overwhelmed by the darkness now covering the earth, all set in motion by the fury of Satan’s activity.

The gloom and fear hovering over every nation has left people feeling helpless. Here in America, courts have made laws that glory in perversions, all against the will of the people. And it chips away at the righteous soul. The result is hopelessness and stress, weakening the spirit and even causing physical sickness.

In God’s house, sin has been downgraded and hell discarded. The Episcopal Church is splitting apart over gay marriages. Meanwhile, evangelicals — those who are the supposed torchbearers of God’s Word — are becoming more focused on earth than on heaven, placing their energies in movements that are not Christ-centered.

I hear godly people today asking, “Have we sinned away the day of grace? Will our generation go out being known only for dysfunctional families and dead, dry churches? Will we wither away as Israel did in the Old Testament?”

Not so, according to the prophets! God will arise amid the darkness and begin to rain down his Spirit upon his latter house.

In Haggai’s day, God’s people were downcast because they focused completely on the past.

The Israelites in Haggai’s day were discouraged over the new temple they were building. That work seemed so insignificant compared to the magnificence of the former temple. As they reflected on all of God’s past glories, they wept with despair at the modest house before them. Haggai asked the people, “Who is left among you that saw this house in her first glory? And how do ye see it now? Is it not in your eyes in comparison of it as nothing?” (Haggai 2:3).

Beloved, the same question applies today. You may recall great revivals of the past, where the Spirit fell powerfully with multitudes saved. Tell me, do you see the life of the church today as nothing compared to those past times? Maybe you’re discouraged over how much God’s house has withered in power and witness during your lifetime.

I tell you, the word God gave Haggai for his church is meant for us today: “My spirit remaineth among you… The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the Lord of hosts: and in this place will I give peace” (2:5, 9).

Peter had been present when the “former rain” fell at Pentecost.

At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit fell upon a prepared people who “were all with one accord [of one mind]” (Acts 2:1). So, what is meant that the people were of “one accord,” one mind? Simply put, mercy was flowing through them. Let me explain.

Consider those who were on the scene at Pentecost, people we revere today as church fathers. Some of these men had sinned grievously against the Lord and against their brethren. They all had to be forgiven, their sins covered, or the church never would have moved forward with the work the Spirit was about to do.

Consider Peter. He had blasphemed horribly, wounding Jesus as well as the other disciples. That church body forgave Peter, and they covered him so his past would never be held against him. Consider also James and John, the “sons of thunder.” They too had sinned grievously, offending their fellow disciples when they professed to be greater than the rest. They also were forgiven and covered.

In truth, anyone present that day might have said, “Hold it, Peter. Who made you the leader here? You denied Christ.” No one did that, because their hearts had been prepared through mercy. And they were ready to receive the Spirit when he came in the great outpouring at Pentecost.

Beloved, this is why Peter’s focus in his epistles is on the issues of the heart. He knew firsthand all these things had to be cast out and forgiven, lest the Spirit’s work be hindered by any flesh. The same is true for Christ’s church today, we who are to receive his mighty harvest rain. Will we hinder that work of the Spirit, by failing to forgive? Or will we be prepared by allowing mercy to flow through us to others?

As the hour approaches, I do not want anything in my heart to hinder God’s work. He is preparing his people to receive his latter rain. And I am determined to continue doing just as Peter has instructed: “Be sober. Take everything to prayer. Show mercy to all.” I urge you to do the same. Pray for rain in this time of God’s latter house!

I leave you with this powerful final image: “Upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe” (Revelation 14:14–15). So it is!

The Freeman: Ideas on Liberty - July 1993

Book Review: The Coming Economic Earthquake by Larry Burkett

By Leonard Gaston

Moody Press, Chicago, I11. • 1991 • 230 pages • $15.99

In the last two decades, Keynesian demand management economic theory has come under increasing attack. The most telling salvos have been leveled by economist James Buchanan, whose Nobel prize in 1986 for his critique of applied Keynesian theory set off a storm of protest in liberal academic circles. Paul Craig Roberts, Jude Wanniski, and others have continued to question the wisdom of what had previously been almost unquestioned economic orthodoxy. Nevertheless, Keynesian theory continues to dominate the policy-making of the federal government.

In a book written for the layman, Larry Burkett has reviewed the accomplishments of a growing federal government busily applying demand-centered economic policies (growing federal deficits and debt, increasing use of debt by business and households, and government regulation gone wrong), and concluded that severe economic troubles lie ahead. He does not set dates, but like an observer sitting on a hill overlooking a large ice-bound river, he simply points out that the ice is piled up in abnormally high and massive ice dams, and that spring is inevitably on its way. It may be early, or it may be late, but as surely as the seasons roll, the ice will eventually break up and flood down the river. Whoever stands in its path may be wiped out.

Keynesian economic policies—with their explicit license for continuing federal deficits and their implicit preference for higher levels of consumption, reduced saving, and a larger role for government in the economy—are one of two things. They are, as mainstream economists have told college economics students since World War II, the means to continued, depression-proof prosperity. Or they are, as others like Mr. Burkett insist, a prescription for disaster.

A review of textbooks written by prominent economists supporting the first position will turn up statements that now inspire less confidence than they did when first written. One author (the Chairman of President John F. Kennedy’s Council of Economic Advisers) had no doubts about the desirability of deficit spending when he wrote in his 1960s college text that the country faced the prospect of deficits of choice (“deficits of strength”) incurred as necessary to sustain demand, or deficits due to low revenues (“deficits of weakness”) incurred because the federal government lacked the will to follow the dictates of Keynesian theory. Another text of the time insisted that the debt was not a real problem, because, although larger year by year, it nevertheless was a smaller fraction of the nation’s gross national product. (That was true at the time, but has not been true since 1974.) Still another insisted that the debt should not be a source for worry since “. . . technically there is never any question of the federal government going bankrupt. It can always manufacture money.”

That, Mr. Burkett insists, is exactly the point. As the interest on the debt consumes a larger and larger portion of the yearly federal budget, and more money is borrowed each year to pay the interest on what was borrowed in previous years, the temptation will become overwhelming to “monetize” the debt, first a little bit at a time, and then at an increasing rate. The possible result? Chaos, in the manner of post-World War I Germany.

This book traces the path that other governments have followed in reaching the brink and plunging over. It also describes the impact that hyperinflation has on a society. It even takes away the faint hope that those deeply in debt might entertain—that they could pay off their debts in devalued dollars. Mr. Burkett believes that laws would be passed to protect those banks still solvent, indexing all debts to the rate of inflation. Ordinary debtors, many without jobs because of the resulting depression, could then be faced with debts on homes, cars, and other goods many times the amount they initially borrowed.

Is this too gloomy a scenario? Perhaps. But Mr. Burkett builds a solid case for an impending economic earthquake. He also outlines actions that he believes necessary to prevent it (bring federal spending under control and restore fiscal discipline through a line-item veto or other actions). He doubts, as the reader may also, that such steps will be taken by our elected leaders in time to prevent fiscal chaos.

Although readers of this book may or may not agree with the author’s religious views, they are likely, in an age when values are something not much talked about, to find the author’s emphasis on values thought provoking.

If this book leaves the reader with a concern that Mr. Burkett may be correct, he will find interesting the author’s advice for minimizing the personal financial damage that may result from an economic earthquake. 

Dr. Gaston is an assistant professor, College of Business Administration, Central State University, Wilberforce, Ohio.
 

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