Don’t Hold It In

Keeping problems and difficulties to yourself is a dangerous way to live. You and I cannot bottle up within us the problems, adversities, and sorrows that have affected us. To use the old phrase, we need to, “get some things off our chest.”

Shakespeare gave the following advice, “Canst thou minister to a mind diseased, pluck from the memory a rooted sorrow, raze out the written troubles of the brain, and by some sweet oblivious antidote cleanse the bosom of the perilous stuff that lies upon the heart.”

An inner emotional release is a necessity for every human being. The heart must be relieved. It’s dangerous to hold things in over a long period, what we hold intends to poison us. It can have not only emotional consequences but physical ones as well. The Bible says in 1Peter 5:16, “Confess your faults one to another and pray for one another, that you may be healed.” By following such wisdom, we empty out of our emotions the ideas, thoughts, troubles, and problems that have been disturbing and destroying our lives. But, we must replace those destructive thoughts with the antidote, which is good, healthy, life-giving thoughts that come from God. Fully occupy your mind with God’s healing thoughts. As the book of Philippians 4:6 tells us to think on things that are true, things that are noble, things that are just, things that are pure and lovely, things that are a good report, filled with life and praise, think on these things.”

Download my series “The Mind, Mental and Emotional Health.” This series has helped thousands move forward.

-Dr. Rob Carman, Is the founder of Victory World Missions, a prolific author, church planter and well-know conference speaker. www.robcarman.com

Hurricane Florence: 200 Chaplains on Standby; Residents Trusting God

And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”
—Matthew 8:25-27, ESV

The ancient account of Jesus calming the storm keeps coming to Kristen Yarborough’s mind as she and her family drive westward, away from their Wilmington, North Carolina, home and the massive hurricane churning off the coast.

Kristen, Chad and Eden Yarborough on the site of their new home, the day before the foundation was poured. They dedicated their home to the Lord and say they’re leaving it in His hands as they evacuate Wilmington, North Carolina, ahead of Hurricane Florence.

“With trusting hearts, holding back tears, we turn our beloved home and town over to our God who is mightier than any storm,” Kristen wrote Wednesday morning on Facebook, where she’s been updating friends around the country as weather forecasts place Wilmington directly in the path of Hurricane Florence.

As a Christ-follower, Kristen says she doesn’t spend much time worrying about material things. Still, leaving the home her family just moved into eight months ago was difficult.

“It’s been a struggle to let it go and trust the Lord,” Kristen said.

She and her husband, Chad, and their 4-year-old daughter, Eden, recently watched as their new house on the Cape Fear River was built from the ground up. They wrote Bible verses on the foundation and beams as they prayed over their home—that it would be a place where the Lord is loved, honored and worshiped.

Now, as they say goodbye and head to the mountains, “He’s reminding us that it’s His.”

Chaplains Ready to Respond

While millions of coastal residents evacuate, the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team (RRT) is preparing for a potential deployment.

Jack Munday, international director of the RRT, says more than 200 crisis-trained chaplains are on standby. The team, which was founded in the aftermath of 9/11, has deployed alongside Samaritan’s Purse after devastating hurricanes including Katrina, Sandy and Harvey.

“This hurricane could be the worst natural disaster the Carolinas has ever seen,” Munday said from RRT headquarters at the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association in Charlotte, North Carolina. “We are praying for the best, yet preparing for the worst.”

Peace and Joy in Uncertain Times

Residents preparing for the hurricane have faced difficult decisions over the past few days. While many beach towns and low-lying areas are under mandatory evacuation orders, those who live a little farther inland have grappled over whether to stay or go.

Many Wilmington residents have been crying out to God for their town. “We’ve just been trying to align ourselves with the way Jesus told us to pray,” Kristen Yarborough said. “Our prayer is, we don’t want [the hurricane] to move anywhere else that affects someone else. We just want it to go out to sea and get disorganized and dissipate.”

In many cases, residents have sick or elderly relatives to consider. Others, like the Yarboroughs, have young children and pets to take into account. And there’s always the question of whether homes and businesses will withstand the storm.

“Our decision was simple math,” Randy Reed said with a laugh.

He and his wife, Becky, have lived in Hampstead, North Carolina, near Wilmington, for 15 years. This is the first time they’ve evacuated.

“We have a roof that’s rated for 130 mph winds,” Randy said. “They were talking about maybe a strong Cat 4 or a weak Cat 5 (which could mean windspeeds in the 140s or 150s). So our decision was simple math and physics.”

Randy and Becky Reed say they’re praying for many friends scattered along the East Coast. “Our prayers are for their safety, and also that we would respond to the situation based off of our relationship with Christ instead of responding to the circumstances,” Randy said. “We just remember what our foundation is, and we’re good. It’s not happy, it’s not fun, but we’re good.”

Randy and Becky are spending the next few days in Durham with their adult daughter. They had been looking for an opportunity to see her, but everyone’s schedules were hectic.

“Then the storm stopped everything, and off we go,” Randy said.

The couple realizes the gravity of the situation along the coast, but their lighthearted laughter revealed an inner joy and peace that’s allowing them to take the uncertainty in stride.

“It was initially hard as I was going through and closing all the doors,” Randy said. “I felt sad. But Becky said, ‘You know what? I can make a home with you anywhere.’ And that was it. We’re good. Our foundation is Christ.”

“Wherever we are, He’s there,” Becky said.

That’s a truth Chad and Kristen Yarborough and so many other believers are holding onto, whether they’re hunkering down at home or seeking shelter elsewhere.

“And God said, ‘This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth.'” (Genesis 9:12-13)

Just a half hour into their 300-mile journey to the North Carolina mountains, the Yarborough family spotted a double rainbow.

“I just feel like the Lord’s been reassuring us with His promises,” Kristen shared over the phone from the interstate, as little Eden in the back seat made it clear she was ready for a lunch stop.

“It’s been a lot more emotional for me than I thought it would be. But I feel like I have peace from the Lord. “I don’t know how we could do it without Him.”

Please join with the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team chaplains and many coastal residents in praying for the hurricane to weaken and spare the coast.

You can have peace in the midst of a looming storm. Start here.

How to Live for One Thing

Do you really think life can be about one thing? In a world of so many options, how do we focus on what’s really important? Can experiencing God help us live confidently for Him?

The Apostle Paul, who wrote much of the New Testament, addresses these issues.

The Word

In the third chapter of the letter to the Philippians, Paul says that although he had many reasons to have “confidence in the flesh,” he counted “all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:4, 8).

Each one of us can choose what we build our lives around.

For the first part of his life, Paul (originally called Saul) based everything on how religious he was. His list of credentials would be impressive for any Jew:

. . . circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. (Philippians 3:5–6)

Paul thought his credentials were strong, but once he met Jesus his life perspective drastically changed (see Acts 9). Instead of trying to make his own name great, encountering Jesus transformed Paul into a man consumed with the glory and worth of Christ, giving up everything to know Him and make Him known:

But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith. (Phil. 3:7-9)

Paul was even willing to suffer and die, as Christ did, if it meant being raised to life with Him forever (Philippians 3:10–11).

Going Deeper

When Paul met Jesus, life came into focus. Instead of striving against Jesus and the Church, he now gave all of his energy to building it. Through the revelation of Christ, the apostle was transformed and empowered to live a life of radical devotion. Paul’s life of radical devotion still matters nearly 2,000 years later—because he honored Christ.

Paul concludes this passage with a strong exhortation for believers to “press on” to “lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of [them]” (Philippians 3:12).

With this specific goal in mind, Paul says doing “one thing . . . forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal” of knowing Christ and being united with Him (Philippians 3:13–14). These words of Paul testify to the kind of lifestyle he lived. His complete abandonment to Jesus was sustained by his radical obedience and willingness to give Jesus complete lordship over his life.

Walking It Out

Paul’s message is for us today. The Lord is still calling forth worshipers “in spirit and in truth,” ones who will love the Lord with all of their heart, soul, mind, and strength (John 4:23–24; Luke 10:27).

We can respond by doing the one thing Paul did—parting with our old way of life (including our sin, pride, hesitation, and fear) and running with abandon toward Christ. This will look different for each person, but the goal is the same—to know Christ and make Him known to others, with nothing standing in the way of our wholehearted obedience.

By embracing this one thing, we can experience a sense of purpose and power that is both eternal and divine. And in this, we can “know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, [we] may attain to the resurrection from the dead” (Philippians 3:10-12).

What is one step you can take toward living for one thing?

-Adam Wittenberg; A Detroit native who was raised in Vermont and Connecticut, Adam worked as a newspaper journalist until 2012, when he moved to Kansas City to complete the Intro to IHOPKC internship. Afterwards, he earned a four-year certificate in House of Prayer Leadership from IHOPU and is now on full-time staff in the Marketing department at IHOPKC. Adam is also active in evangelism and has a vision to reach people everywhere with the good news of Jesus Christ.

Slowing Down to Hear God's Voice

It’s not popular—or easy—but slowing down is essential to hearing God’s voice.

We must break free from our overstimulated culture. Phones buzz, screens flash, and distractions come at us almost constantly. There is almost no time to rest. In our busy world, there’s always more to do, more to see, more to think about. We rarely take time to be still.

Unfortunately, it’s hard to cultivate a deep, inner life with God when we live this way. It’s difficult to get below the surface and really get to know Him if we’re always in a rush.

LOOK AT THE TREES

Picture, if you will, a tree with shallow roots. The tree may look OK on the surface, but it doesn’t bear much fruit because it’s struggling to get enough water itself. Over time, the tree may show signs of weakness or even become sick, and could be toppled at any time by a strong storm. This is not a tree others could safely climb or eat fruit from. It is not reaching its full potential.

What if the same is true for us? How many of us live hurried and worried, stressed and frantic, on edge and grasping for a sip of refreshment, barely able to get enough water for ourselves—much less give it to others?

The Lord, our Good Shepherd, has promised to lead us to green pastures. He wants us to lie down and drink from the still waters (Psalm 23:2), but how many of us resist Him? We may be Christians, know the Lord, and call Jesus our Savior, but where is the deep intimacy and our trust in His leadership to do this?

FINDING WATER IN THE DESERT

If you’re struggling, know that God hasn’t left you. He’s not mad at you for being busy, but His heart may be calling you to slow down and step closer to Him.

The Lord has promised to meet us according to our hunger. Scripture is full of exhortations for God’s people to call to Him so that He can answer (Isaiah 58:9; Jeremiah 33:3). His provision is strong and secure, but we have to access it.

That’s what the spiritual disciplines are all about (prayer, fasting, reading the Word). God is perfectly good and has promised to supply all our needs (Philippians 4:19); our part is to position ourselves to receive the fulfillment of that promise, which includes spending time with Him.

IT’S A CHOICE

Ultimately, slowing down and seeking God is a choice. Our plates may be full, but we can ask the Lord for wisdom on how to create space for Him. A good place to start is with entertainment. While this is to have a place in our lives, “it’s a small place,” says Mike Bickle, IHOPKC’s director. Unfortunately, our culture often makes it a priority.

We can start by reversing this trend, putting aside a show we like or favorite movie to attend a prayer meeting, worship as a family, or spend time in God’s Word. It may start slowly, but these activities can quickly become more enjoyable than the entertainment we’re forsaking, since knowing the Lord is our greatest pleasure.

It’s not only about discipline, but delight. Jesus loves us and wants us to be with Him where He is (John 17:24). We can choose Him daily, in ways big and small, which delights His heart. And since God wants us to draw near, don’t be surprised if He quickly pours out favor on your times with Him, encouraging you to do it more (and even invite others into the same thing!).

THE POINT

The more we feast on God’s Word, the deeper our roots will go, as described in Psalm 1. This tree, which is “planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither,” symbolizes a healthy believer, “and whatever he does shall prosper (Psalm 1:3).

Pray and ask God for this: to come out of busyness and make time to seek Him more. Distractions can wait, but the Lord is waiting on us, beckoning us to seek Him with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength (Luke 10:27). He is our first love and source of life, ready to receive all who come to Him.

- Adam Wittenberg; A Detroit native who was raised in Vermont and Connecticut, Adam worked as a newspaper journalist until 2012, when he moved to Kansas City to complete the Intro to IHOPKC internship. Afterwards, he earned a four-year certificate in House of Prayer Leadership from IHOPU and is now on full-time staff in the Marketing department at IHOPKC. Adam is also active in evangelism and has a vision to reach people everywhere with the good news of Jesus Christ.

Twenty-One Words

In 1871 a young medical student was worried and upset over his future, like so many of us he was overthinking his path, “what area of medicine should I get into, what direction should I take.” Questions and thoughts like this are not uncommon but if they occupy all of our emotional real estates they leave no room for God. Then something happened to this young man that would forever change the direction of his life. He heard twenty-one words, yes, twenty-one words are all it took!

What were those twenty-one words? Here they are, “Our main business is not to see what lies dimly in the distance, but to do what lies clearly at hand.”

With that William Osler found the secret of living for today, he became the most famous physician of his generation. He organized the world famous John Hopkins School of Medicine, became the Regis Professor of medicine at Oxford, the highest honor given to any medical man in the British Empire. The King of England knighted him. Forty-two years later at the graduating class at Yale University, William Osler, giving the address said this, “My success was not due to my talents, intellect, or gifts, rather it all began with a simple idea of doing what lies clearly at hand and leaving the rest up to God.”

We can all plan our future, but we can only live today! So let’s give each day our best and let the future unfold with God’s blessing. I might add, whatever you plan on doing, don’t ask yourself if you have enough, or what it will take, instead ask yourself, do I have enough to get started!

Download my series, How to Change your Future! And get started on a fantastic journey.

-Dr. Rob Carman, Is the founder of Victory World Missions, a prolific author, church planter and well-know conference speaker. www.robcarman.com

Parenting Unto Godly Dating and Marriage

Outside of the decision to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior and live a surrendered life to Him, the next most important decision made will be who one chooses to marry and share their life with. In twenty-two years of full time pastoring, I’ve seen too many Christian young people derailed from their destiny by marrying someone who did not share an equal commitment to Jesus. The Apostle Paul gave the directive to not be unequally yoked with unbelievers (2 Corinthians 6:14).

Yet, I believe there is another form of being unequally yoked. That is with believers who do not share the same level of passion or pursuit of the heart of God, or who may not share a common vision or goals for life. How can we as parents help guide our children into making the best decision for a life partner?

Hopefully, as Christian parents, we are training our children in the value of living our lives with a biblical worldview. This includes prioritizing the great commandment of radical love for the Lord above all else (Matthew 22:37–39), obedience to Him that leads to fruitfulness (John 15:10), living a Sermon on the Mount lifestyle (Matthew 5–7) and a biblical view of relationships.

Two Views of Courtship

The biblical view of dating or courtship is very different than that of our modern cultural norms. In the biblical model, an interested young man would request permission from a girl’s father to pursue the possibility of a relationship with the intention of a life-long commitment to her. Any pre-marriage relationship was under the oversight of the father, family, or even the church (synagogue).

Courtship was about enjoying one another’s company, often with family, friends, or in groups, with a goal of determining if it is God’s will for the other person to be one’s future husband or wife. Commitment happens before intimacy.

By contrast, today’s form of dating has little or no oversight by families and is more about ‘playing the field’ with multiple partners, with little or no intention or commitment to pursue marriage. Dating relationships are common (even expected) in ages as young as eleven or twelve.

Since the oversight of a modern dating relationship is generally left to the couple, there are more opportunities to fall into temptation and not walk in purity. There tends to be much time spent alone. Emotional and physical involvement is expected. Intimacy happens before commitment. Having multiple dating relationships is like having multiple mini-divorces which can shatter hearts, shake confidence, plunge one into depression, and awaken love before it’s time.

We have instructed our children in the biblical view of dating or courtship. We have asked them not to engage in the modern process of dating. We are happy for our kids to hang out in groups with friends or go to coffee shops for conversations that build friendships and/or help them get to know someone.

However, if a man pursues one of our daughters romantically with a more serious intention of dating, we have asked our daughters to have him request permission of my husband, John, and I to court or biblically date our daughter. Our permission would only be granted if this is one John and I would consider someone our daughter could marry.

Similarly, for our son (we have one son and five daughters), we asked him to speak to us first before pursuing a girl so we could share a unity that the girl is indeed “marriage material,” and we all have a witness from the Lord to proceed.

Besides the obvious issue of no physical intimacy until marriage, we have asked our children not to kiss until engagement. But simply put, do not kiss before getting a ring, and do not take your clothing off until after the wedding. The question should never be, “How far can I go in physical touch and actions before it is too far before marriage?” The question should be, “How can I honor God and His person in my actions, maintaining utmost purity?”

I have appreciated the teachings of Lou Engle in his booklet Nazirite DNA. Basically, a Nazirite call (see Numbers 6) has to do with setting aside time in one’s life to seek the Lord, be consecrated to Him, and not be distracted by things like dating. Our three oldest children took a Nazirite vow for periods of their lives to focus on the Lord and not pursue relationships. For example, our son did this for the duration of his high school years. Parents can encourage their children to not be caught up in culture’s push for premature dating but save themselves for God’s best.

What If It Seems Too Late?

What about parents of children already dating or those who have already “gone too far,” or those who messed up themselves in dating relationships before they became parents? Well, I know firsthand what that is like since I had multiple unhealthy dating relationships before I met and married my husband.

The prayers of my mother proved very fruitful to help guide me. Upon seeing the error of my ways, the Lord purified me, cleansed me, and forgave me of my premarital wrongs. While engaged, the Lord spoke to my husband, who was a virgin when he married me and was struggling with my previous dating past, saying, “Do not call unholy what I have made clean.” We have now shared twenty-seven years of a healthy, happy, glorious marriage.

The worst parenting regarding dating is parenting with no boundaries—little input or leaving it up to the child to flounder through those years. Stay strong with your boundaries, have a consistent prayer life for your child to marry God’s choice for them, and give honest, loving input. Keep communication lines flowing as much as you can. Encourage your child that the Lord will repeatedly confirm a romantic relationship that is of Him. Perhaps they could speak to other spiritual leaders to seek advice or even listen to godly friends.

While speaking at a conference internationally, I was billeted in the home of leaders of the church. I was appalled to find out these leaders allowed their son to sleep with his girlfriend in his room in their home. They didn’t want to confront him because they were afraid he would leave. I felt the spiritual oppression in that home due to the parents’ unwise choice to let “anything go” in their home. I would rather have a child move out and face the consequences outside of my oversight than tolerate willful sin in the home that I have authority over.

Single parents such as single moms trying to help a son navigate dating years could reach out to mature men in their church family to help provide male spiritual leadership and friendship to their son. Parents with children who have already gone too far can teach and model the value of forgiveness through the blood of Jesus—starting over and not accepting any lies that now they are “dirty” or “trash.” There is forgiveness, freedom, and healing in Jesus.

Parental Blessing

In the blessing ceremony we have held for each of our children at age thirteen, among other things, they signed a covenantal commitment to sexual purity including abstinence until marriage. The ceremony is similar to a Jewish bar mitzvah but in the Christian form is a bar (for a boy) or bat (for a girl) barakah, which means son of the blessing or daughter of the blessing.

When in a courtship relationship, which we are all agreed on as Christian parents with our children, we also ask for a written and signed dating commitment. It includes activities to pursue (such as encouraging one another’s spiritual vision, being actively involved in ministry, going to prayer meetings together, and reading the Word together) as well as activities to avoid (such as kissing before engagement, being in compromising situations, watching movies that stir up desires that cannot be righteously fulfilled, drinking alcohol together, being alone in a home). In order to be accountable to uphold these standards, the couple should submit the written and signed commitments to parents and those they view as mentors.

Very importantly, and before all of the above, the prayers of a parent for the guidance of God to bring their child into the marriage relationship He has for them are of utmost importance. We began these prayers regularly after their birth.

Of our six children, three are married and three are still teenagers. I’m delighted to report that of our three married, our daughter-in-law and two sons-in-law are outstanding, godly young adults. They were our children’s first dating relationship, first kiss on engagement, and first sexual encounter at marriage. They have complementary passion for Jesus, live with common vision for the future in walking in destiny, and are abundantly happy in marriage.

In regards to dating—there is a higher way. Let’s choose God’s way.

-Patricia Bootsma; Sr. Associate Pastor, Catch the Fire Toronto; her husband John, is the Sr. Associate Pastor of Catch the Fire Toronto.  She gives leadership to the House of Prayer, Prophetic and Women’s Departments.   Patricia travels extensively as a prophetic voice to churches, ministries and regions and has a heart for all to walk in passionate love for the Lord and fullness of His destiny for them.  Patricia is the author of three books:  Convergence, Raising Burning Hearts and A Lifestyle of Divine Encounters.  She and John are the parents of six amazing children, three of whom are married and in Christian ministry.

Memorial Day

Memorial Day is just a few short days away, and many of us are looking forward to enjoying the weekend with loved ones. For me, there is nothing better than catching a baseball game or hiking with Sharon or time out on the lake with your fishing gear and some good friends!

It is easy to forget that our ability to experience a carefree weekend with family has been enabled by the roughly half a million service men and women who have given their lives in defense of our nation and its values. From the early days of the revolution, to the trenches of the Great War in Europe, to the modern warfare conflicts in the age of global terror, we are forever grateful for those who gave their lives for our country.

As Memorial Day approaches and you plan your activities, take time to reflect on the liberties and freedom we all share due to those who sacrificed for you and me. It is an important holiday, whose meaning should never be forgotten. Those who have fallen fighting for our country gave up their tomorrows so we could enjoy our freedom today.

Likewise, our Lord Jesus lived a life beyond himself, paying the ultimate sacrifice for the forgiveness of our sins. Because of Jesus, we can live forgiven and free.

“There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” - John 15:13 NLT

Remembering their sacrifice,

Steve Holder; President, The Fellowship Network, https://thefellowshipnetwork.net

4 Pastoral Challenges in the End Times

Our world is in a season of acceleration toward two momentous events: the greatest outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the greatest hour of pressure and trouble in all of history.

Isaiah said it clearly: "For the darkness shall cover the earth and deep darkness the peoples; but the Lord shall rise upon you, and His glory shall be seen upon you" (Isa. 60:2).

A time of deep darkness is coming, yet at the same time, the glory of God will be seen on His people in an unprecedented way. In essence, Haggai prophesied the same thing, declaring that the Lord will shake heaven and earth, the sea and all the nations, and much more. In context to this global shaking, multitudes will come to the Jesus who will be seen as "the Desire of All Nations."

For thus says the Lord of hosts: "I will shake heaven and earth, the sea and dry land; and I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations [Jesus]" (Hag. 2:6a-7b, NKJV).

In other words, the greatest harvest of souls is coming in context to the end-time shaking of the nations. This shaking will be like a "perfect storm" affecting many areas of life—financial, political, societal, spiritual, military and much more.

Uniqueness of a Key Generation

The generation of Jesus' return will have unique dynamics. There is only one generation that will see both the greatest revival and the greatest pressure in all history occurring at the same time. Thus, two great extremes come together in one timeframe. The dynamics are unique—nobody has ever walked that path before. No other generation in history has had to navigate these two extremes. That is why the Lord put so much information in the Bible about that generation, so it is not surprising the Scripture highlights that particular generation much more than others. In fact, God's plan for the generation in which Jesus returns is the main focus in over 150 chapters in the Bible (see mikebickle.org/resources/resource/2888 for a list of these).

To get a perspective on how important these 150-plus chapters are, consider that there are 89 chapters in the four Gospels that focus on Jesus' first coming to accomplish salvation. In contrast, more than 150 chapters in the Bible focus on what will happen when Jesus returns to openly rule the whole earth. (That one generation includes the decades leading up to Jesus' return and the decades immediately following it).

God's people easily receive the good news about a coming great revival. The challenge lies in interpreting the unprecedented pressures without being afraid or offended by the many negative events that will occur. Thus, God's people must understand the biblical narrative related to the coming pressure, or they will be left, by default, to embrace a secular narrative.

The secular narrative of current and future events is presently being expressed through many different media outlets. The problem with this narrative is that is based on many wrong ideas leading to many wrong conclusions. Some present ideas that are overly optimistic, refusing to acknowledge what the Bible says about the coming pressure. Others go to the other extreme and are overly pessimistic. Only by embracing the biblical narrative will God's people be able to process the pressures in a way that will help them to grow in love and faith with a steadfast hope in God.

Believers not grounded in the biblical narrative about the end times often promote the secular narrative or the secular interpretation of the increasing crisis. In fact, far too many in the church are almost totally unaware of the biblical narrative in these more than 150 Bible chapters. Understanding the biblical narrative includes more than knowing a few general ideas about the end times; most are familiar with the fact of a coming Antichrist, the Great Tribulation and the rapture. But the Scripture has much more to say about what will happen in that generation and why.

People will respond according to the narrative they embrace. Those who don't understand the biblical narrative or storyline of unfolding events will be confused and even afraid. Many are perplexed as to where things are going as they seek to interpret society's increasing pressures and troubles. To them it seems like the train of history is veering off the tracks, and it feels as though no one really knows where things are going or why.

I have good news! The very God who can accurately predict the specific details occurring in the end times is the same God who has authority over them and can overrule the negative events causing them to work for the good of His people (Rom. 8:28). Since God has total control and deeply loves His people, we are in His good hands. We can stand in faith, filled with peace and thriving in love. Only those who interpret what is happening from God's point of view can respond with such faith and confidence.

4 Pastoral Challenges

There are also pastoral reasons we should pay attention to these 150 chapters of the Bible. I identify four negative responses Jesus warned the end-time church to be prepared to overcome. Again, I emphasize that people must understand the biblical narrative of what will happen or they will be left, by default, to embrace a secular narrative of the increasing pressures and crisis events, making them more vulnerable to be overcome by fear, offense, lust and deception.

Fear: Jesus warned that men's hearts will be overcome with fear in the end times if they are not properly equipped in the Word and walking in the Spirit. This warning applies to both believers and unbelievers. People who are overcome with fear are far more vulnerable to make terrible decisions. The Bible speaks of "men fainting from fear and expectation of what is coming on the inhabited earth" (Luke 21:26a, MEV).

Offense: Many will be offended at God and one another in context to the escalating pressures. People who are offended at the Lord cannot respond to Him with strong faith and wholehearted love. Some will be offended at Jesus' leadership because they grew up in a church that taught that things were mostly only going to get better or the Lord would rapture them before the trouble increased too much. Thus, they will question Jesus' leadership and whether the Bible is true.

"And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another" (Matt. 24:10, NKJV).

3) Lust: Jesus warned His people not to allow their hearts to be weighed down with carousing and drunkenness. The word for "carousing" speaks of self-indulgence, with the main idea being immorality. Often people who are overwhelmed by fear or offense seek to find temporary relief from their pain in drunkenness, drugs and immorality. The explosion of immorality in our culture will intensify even more as internet technology provides many with opportunities to engage in it.

"Take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing [lust], drunkenness ... and that Day come on you unexpectedly (Luke 21:34, NKJV).

4) Deception: Jesus prophesied that the enemy will use false prophets for his deceptive purposes. "Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many" (Matt. 24:11, MEV).

Do not think of false prophets as only cult leaders and crazy eccentric people with bizarre religious ideas. I believe some of the most dangerous false prophets will be popular social reformers and media personalities who are dignified, cool, caring, intelligent and well-spoken. They will be very persuasive in their social commentary and in their call for new values and perspectives on social and sexual issues. They will come across as logical and even loving to those not grounded in God's Word. They will seek to rescue people and society from "old-fashioned" biblical values and perspectives. The enemy is raising new popular voices to spearhead counterfeit justice movements or mercy movements that claim to excel in love. They will use the biblical terms "justice, unity and love," but not in the same way the Bible defines them. These false voices will lead many people away from Jesus, the God of the Bible.

The End-Time Falling Away

Scripture clearly prophesies that some will fall away from their faith in the end times. This is one of the most tragic and serious realities in all of history.

"Now the Spirit clearly says that in last times some will depart from the faith and pay attention to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils" (1 Tim. 4:1).

The combination of escalating fear, offense, lust and deception will result in some believers falling away (1 Tim. 4:1-2; 2 Tim. 3:1-7, 4:3-5; Heb. 6:4-6, 10:26-31, 39; 2 Pet. 2:1-3, 20-22, 3:17). People who become fearful or offended are far more vulnerable to drift away from their faith because they are not able to make sense of the increasing pressures and troubles in the world. Paul presented the end-time falling away as obvious and as significant as the appearing of the Antichrist on the world stage.

"Do not let anyone deceive you in any way. For that Day [Jesus' return] will not come unless a falling away comes first, and the man of sin [Antichrist] is revealed" (2 Thess. 2:3).

22 Biblical Signs of the Times

The Lord was gracious to give His people information about these increasing pressures with important details about the generation of His appearing. The biblical signs of the times include events and trends predicted in Scripture. In Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21, Jesus identified 22 signs of the times—and 20 of them are negative.

The Old Testament prophets, Jesus and the apostles prophesied of the signs of the times to alert God's people who are alive in the generation of His return that His return is imminent. Now, for the first time in history, most of these signs are increasing and making global headline news. When all the signs accelerate at the same time, God's people are to know they are living in the generation of Christ's return.

The first mention of "all these things" (Matt. 24:33) refers to the signs of the times before and during the Great Tribulation (Matt. 24:5-28). The second mention of "all these things" (Matt. 24:34b) refers to what occurs after the Great Tribulation, at the time of Jesus' return (Matt. 24:29-31).

"So also, when you shall see all these things, you know that it is near, even at the doors. ... this generation will not pass away until all these things shall take place" (Matt. 24:33-34).

It is possible that there are people alive on the earth today who may see Christ's return. It is not too early to become more familiar with the biblical storyline in the 150 chapters on the end times.

Full Understanding

The Lord promised to raise up people who will understand His end-time plans perfectly (see Jer. 23:20). To understand the end times perfectly means to have a mature understanding of what the Scripture says about the end times.

"The anger of the Lord [His judgments] will not turn back until He has executed ... the thoughts of His heart. In the latter days you will understand it perfectly" (Jer. 23:20).

We can only have mature understanding as we honor, relate to and learn from one another across the different streams in the body of Christ. No one group will have it all, but together, the body of Christ can gain a mature understanding. I believe that only in the collective wisdom of the body of Christ across the nations can we have a full understanding of the end times. We need each other to grow in strength and understanding.

We can be confident that the anger of the Lord against the Antichrist's empire will not be turned back until God has executed and performed all the thoughts and plans of His heart. At that time, God's people will understand perfectly. There is power in knowledge. We don't have to be confused.

By having a robust biblical picture of the unique dynamics of the end times, God's people will be equipped to have right expectations and interpretations of various negative events. By understanding the biblical narrative, God's people will have the tools to process escalating pressures in a way that will help them to thrive spiritually and grow in love and faith. The Lord promised to raise up "people of understanding" who will help others understand the biblical narrative related to the end times.

"And those of the people who understand shall instruct many" (Dan. 11:33a, NKJV).

This passage had a partial fulfillment in the days of Antiochus IV Epiphanes (175-163 B.C.), but the complete fulfillment will come in the end times.

The promise to be "one of the people of understanding" is available to any believer in Jesus who will search out what He says in the Scriptures. Remember, there are over 150 chapters in the Bible whose main focus is on the generation of the Lord's return.

"Many," or multitudes, will be hungry for answers from God's Word. The Lord's messengers will make the biblical narrative known in diverse ways to "many" in the body of Christ and to the uninstructed millions of unbelievers hungry for understanding. This information is to be used evangelistically in a way that may surprise us. Unbelievers are interested in knowing what the Bible says about the end times. By growing in understanding, we can be a part of the solution instead of adding to the confusion of those who embrace the secular narrative and are overcome with fear, offense, lust or deception.

"When all the signs accelerate at the same time, God's people are to know they are living in the generation of Christ's return."

-Mike Bickle; Director, International House of Prayer, an evangelical mission’s organization based on 24/7 prayer with worship. Mike is also the founder of International House of Prayer University—which includes full-time schools of ministry, music, and media—and is the author of several books.

How Singing the Word Strengthened My Faith

Anyone who knows me well knows that I am fluent in “Christianese“—that language Christians speak when referring to or describing all things related to their faith. Having married into a family whose members all speak multiple languages, I have learned that the best way to learn a new language is full immersion, leading to understanding by necessity.

One of the most intriguing things perhaps about language is the use of slang. These words or phrases only make sense contextually, and often only in cultures specific to a particular language, very similar to the use of idiomatic expressions.

Having grown up in a primarily Christian environment, I learned scriptural language but was given little understanding of the biblical context for many of the things I said, heard and sang.

In 2009, I was already on staff and a worship leader and prophetic singer by occupation at the International House of Prayer. Or so I thought. I was invited to join the NightWatch for a season—the midnight to 6am watch in the Global Prayer Room. While it was a very real struggle to switch my body clock to working nights, it was even more of a struggle to sing prophetically because I didn’t know what that meant. Another worship leader in the NightWatch invited me to join their well-established team and gave me this encouraging pep talk:

Leader: I want you to ONLY sing the Bible. Sing the Bible to describe the Bible. Not your opinion. Not your diary or poetry. If it isn’t in the Bible, don’t sing it.

Me: But I ALWAYS sing the Bible.

Leader: No you don’t. I’ve heard you.

I assumed that singing biblical concepts, and having biblical language was the same as singing the Bible. In that new season for me, I was overwhelmed to discover so many verses like:

“Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth.” Psalm 96:1

“Sing to him a new song. Play skillfully with a shout of joy!” Psalm 33:3

“Praise you the Lord. Sing to the Lord a new song . . . ” Psalm 149:1

It was a church-boy assumption that verses like this were primarily for Old Testament minstrels and singers, and that this concept of singing the new song wasn’t mostly for today. Until I discovered verses like:

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs . . .” Colossians 3:16

“And they sang a new song, saying: ‘You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals . . .’” Revelation 5:9

“And they sang a new song before the throne . . .” Revelation 14:3

I came to realize through time, prayer and experience that the “new song” wasn’t a new genre or new melodies, or even new sounds that had not been heard before. But, in fact, the new song was and is the old song. Its foundation is the wisdom that only comes from God (Ephesians 1:17-19)—the knowledge of God.

It’s not that God reveals new things about His character or person, so much as it is that our eyes are opened to see Him for who He is, causing our hearts to sing to Him about Him. This alone is our biblical model for the release of the new song in the earth.

THE ETERNALITY OF SINGING THE WORD

The beauty of having this understanding and perspective is that when we sing the Word, then and then alone, do we pass through the dimension of the temporal into the realm of the eternal. I often say, “The eternal reality for every believer is that we will be gathered around the throne of God, singing to Him of His beauty and worth FOREVER!”

This is modeled so clearly for us in Revelation 4 and 5. There, we see a host of angels and elders around the throne, singing. But personally I am more intrigued by these four living creatures. They are described as having “eyes all around and within.” Why so many eyes? I believe it’s because there is more to see about God than our eyes can contain.

As a songwriter, I have purposed in my heart that I want to be one who writes “eternal songs,” ones that not only outlive my generation but ones that are and will be sung around the throne. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think it’s wrong to sing from our own experiences, but even David as the great psalmist understood that singing about God toGod was an eternal value amid his very real troubles. (Psalm 3:1-2)

Singing the Word will most certainly change our perspective, and gives us the dignity of entering into the reality of eternity now. So my question to you is, What song are YOU singing?

- Jaye Thomas, Director, Forerunner Music Academy, IHOPU Jaye Thomas is a Dove Award-nominated singer, songwriter, and worship leader of more than twenty-three years. Jaye comes from a long lineage of musicians and singers, including his aunt, the late Nina Simone. Originally from North Carolina, Jaye comes to Forerunner Music Academy as a former Brightleaf Music Scholar at Duke University (1996), having studied vocal jazz performance under the late Dr. Steve Zegree. He has been a full-time worship leader at the International House of Prayer for nearly ten years and is an artist on the Forerunner Music record label. He has contributed to more than twenty albums, including two of his own, Higher, and Here is My Worship. Jaye is married to Nayomi and a father to their three children, Mahan, Justice, and Addison.

Imparting a Legacy of Prayer to Our Children

A new level of prayer the Lord was inviting me and my family into began with a praying mantis perched on our suburban Toronto doorstep every morning for three weeks. “Odd,” I thought. Praying mantises (green insects with little “hands” clasped in prayer) may be found in farmers’ fields but do not normally come into the city and particularly do not arrive at the same door for three weeks in a row. After some inquiring of the Lord, I realized He was trying to get a point across—it was time to learn to pray at a whole new level. Making a long-term story short, within a few months my husband and I began to give our mornings to the Lord in intensive prayer; we launched a house of prayer and later helped build numerous other houses of prayer worldwide. Along the way, we realized we couldn’t “do” house of prayer until we and our family, including our six children, had become a house of prayer.

Little eyes are watching and little ears are listening as mothers and fathers either reflect (or not) the will of the Lord. Jesus’ disciples were also watching and listening to Him as He prayed, impelling them to ask, “Teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1). As Jesus taught and modeled to His disciples a lifestyle of prayer, so must we as parents teach and model to our main disciples—our children—a life of prayer. One of the most touching statements I’ve heard one of our daughters make was that she was particularly inspired to pray after coming down the stairs in the quiet of early mornings to see her parents in prayer before the Lord. If we are going to teach it, we must actually do it.

Even babies sitting in a high chair can learn prayer as a parent clasps little hands in theirs to pray over the meal. Taking turns having family members pray at the table, at night before bed, or before having a time of family home group is an easy way to initiate kids in praying out loud. When our children were old enough to read and write, we commissioned them to have personal prayer, time in the Word, and journal time (listening to the voice of God) first thing in the morning. Sometimes it worked better for a child to have that time in the privacy of their bedroom right after waking, and others wanted their “God time” after breakfast in a comfortable chair in the living room. Either way, we established the daily habit of personal prayer for our kids at around age five. Years ago, after reminding my youngest daughter to have her God time, she said to me, “Mom, you don’t need to remind me anymore. It’s in me.” What a delight to know the habit of prayer was instilled.

In addition to prayer we have encouraged our children to practice what we call decrees or proclamations in agreement with the Scriptures. Often, they will begin their prayer time with praying a scripture such as, “Now to Him who is able to keep me from stumbling and present me faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,” (Jude 24). They may also decree something specific to a particular need.

When one of our daughters (we have one son and five daughters) lamented that she didn’t have many good friends, we sat her down to pray about it together. Then we encouraged her to begin to daily decree, “God is bringing me good, godly friends.” It was short and simple and also effective. Literally within weeks, one girl moved into our city and started attending our church, another girl who had been more of a distant acquaintance to our daughter expressed interest in befriending her, and a third moved into our neighborhood. Suddenly, our daughter had three new friends!

Our son greatly desired a godly wife and began to pray and decree, “The Lord is sending me my wife who loves God and is saving herself for me.” About a year later our son met and married a lovely woman of God, who did save herself for him, and they have three beautiful children together.

Teaching our children to fast is also important. It can begin with fasting things like ice cream, chocolate, or a movie when younger and progress to a lifestyle of fasting. One of our daughters fasted movies for a year at age sixteen. That was a challenge, but she came out of that year a woman of great passion for Jesus, which has never abated to this day.

The Lord impressed on me years ago that in addition to love, one of the greatest things I can do for my children is pray for them and teach them to pray. This leaves a legacy of walking with and talking to the Spirit, which is essential to abiding in Christ and bearing fruit in all areas of life. Our children, to this day, are actively involved in pursuing a life in Christ, most within the prayer movement.

The IHOPKC Children’s Equipping Center helps parents lead their children into a lifestyle of prayer that bears fruit in young lives. Enroll your child in CEC today!

Click on the image to order your copy of Patricia’s latest release.

- Patricia Bootsma; with her husband, John, gives pastoral leadership to Catch the Fire Toronto Airport Church. She is the director of the Catch the Fire Toronto House of Prayer and represents the province of Ontario to the Canadian Prophetic Counsel. Patricia travels both in North America and internationally, ministering prophetically and helping believers to walk in passion for Jesus and live out the fullness of their destiny. Patricia and John are the parents of six amazing children.