Two Earthquakes Hit California in 1906: One Natural, One Spiritual

Two Earthquakes hit California in 1906, four days apart.  The first hit Los Angeles April 14, 1906, the 2^nd hit San Francisco April 18, 1906.  The 2^nd has been widely publicized because of the destruction suffered.  As a result of the quakes and fires, about 3,000 people died and over 80% of San Francisco was destroyed.  Though the city rebuilt quickly, the disaster diverted trade, industry and population growth south to Los Angeles, spurring its growth to become the largest and most important urban area in the west.  (Source: Wikipedia.)

The Los Angeles earthquake on April 14, 1906, was of a different sort with rippling effects continuing to this day round the world.  This event, too, was characterized by fire—a most unusual fire.  Sometimes the fire would seem to come from the heavens downward over this one particular building (an abandoned African Methodist Episcopal Church that had become a stable and had to be cleaned out for use), and other times the fire seemed to emanate from the building reaching heavenward, but most often the flames met.  Repeatedly, fire departments were called to the scene only to be met with a puzzling situation—a building that appeared to be on fire but not burning!

This fiery circumstance was certainly reminiscent of the Day of Pentecost experience: “Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, distributed and resting on each and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2: 3 & 4).

The specific Los Angeles address was 312 Azusa Street, which came to be known round the world as “Azusa Street”.  Yes, though there was a difference in the way the fire of the Holy Spirit was manifest, the same Holy Spirit of God was shepherding both events.  Similarities abounded with persons being filled with the Holy Spirit and speaking with other tongues; powerful preaching which resulted in changed lives; and miracles of healing—perhaps more so at Azusa Street than in the Book of Acts!

But there was one difference between Azusa Street and the Book of Acts—the manifest glory of God which was almost in continual manifestation at Azusa Street, a parallel of which cannot be found in the Book of Acts.  In fact this manifest glory of God, by all accounts was very palpable, where people attempted to breathe it in, lie down and roll in it, one person even attempted to “bottle it”, is most to be compared to the Divine presence that hovered between the cherubim, over the Ark of the Covenant, in the Holy of Holies—whether in the “Tabernacle of Moses” or the Solomon’s Temple or Herod’s Temple.  Attenders & workers quickly learned when the “glory cloud” was heaviest accompanied by fire above the building, something mighty special and powerful was about to happen.

These events which attended the Azusa Street Revival (1906-1910), apparently will be “beginning” hallmarks of the final revival that will sweep the earth prior to the 2^nd return of our Lord.  Such understanding needs to shape our praying and our expectation.

All my Christian life I have known of “Azusa Street”, but only recently have I learned of some of the specifics I’ve shared.  You, too, can learn of them through the book:  Azusa Street—They Told Me Their Stories (The Youth & Children of Azusa Street Tell Their Stories), published 2010.

Order Information:  Individual copies @ azusastories.com or DaretoDream Books @ 405/642-8257 
Bulk Orders: 20-99: $9 each s/h included; 100+: $7.30 each s/h included
Contact Person:  Dr. Jim Morris                 

God Keeps His Promises

“The Lord is not slack [“not using due diligence, care or dispatch”] concerning His promise. . .” (II Peter 3:9a)  Any promise God has given you, including a bona fide prophetic word will come to pass.  This promise-keeping quality extends to His children in prayer:  “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.  And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him” (I John 5:14&15).

Then the critical thing for the “believer” is to discern whether or not a thing being asked of God is according to His will.

It’s critical a “believer” learn to “ask” and “receive” because many of those things which God wants to usher in as we come to the end of the age will require some of His children somewhere asking, believing and “receiving” them.  Illustrative of this principle is Amos 3:7—“Surely the Lord God does nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets.”  This way the prophets would know how to pray and what to declare.

This principle of informational-forewarning is covered exhaustively in the writings of the prophets relative to the coming of Jesus.  Because of the abundance of such prophetic information King Herod, the Roman Client King of Judea at the time of the birth of Jesus, was enabled to tap into this pool of information in an attempt to find and kill the Christ child.  “And when he (Herod) gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.  So they said to him, ‘In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet: But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are not the least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you shall come a Ruler who will shepherd My people Israel’” (Matthew 5&6).

The information given Herod was correct but he was frustrated in his attempt to kill the Christ child because “an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream saying, ‘Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him” (Matthew 2:13).

The prophet Daniel, himself, tapped into the prophetic word to learn how he should pray, “in the first year of his reign (Darius, the son of Ahasuerus) I, Daniel understood by the books the number of the years specified by the word of the Lord, given through Jeremiah the prophet, that He would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.  Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes” (Daniel 9:2&3).

Daniel learned the time of Judah’s captivity in Babylon was 70 years and that now they should be set free to return to the land.  The prophetic word supplied Daniel with the information and he prayed accordingly.  Judah was released to go back and build again the walls of Jerusalem.  All of it done according to the “word of the Lord”.

Certainly, there are those personal and family matters God would have you ask of Him.  But having learned to trust Him for these personal matters, it’s time you took the stance of Daniel and began inquiring of God those things that must happen on behalf of Israel and, by extension, the rest of the world.

That’s a large part of why you have been permitted to live at such a time as this.

For Our Friends in the Ukraine

My understanding is that whatever the ramifications of your struggle politically, you wish to be free.  Ultimately I believe that is what God desires for all His children.  That freedom begins with freedom from sin made possible by Christ’s sacrifice upon the Cross for the sins of all men.  Freedom from sin is the basis of all true freedom.  If one is free in the political sense, but not free from sin, that person is not free.  But, if one is free from sin he cannot be imprisoned no matter in what prison he may be incarcerated.  The Apostle Paul demonstrated this with his life—being frequently imprisoned.

Paul was in a local prison—your desire is that the whole of the Ukraine not become a prison.  This may be a tough battle for you.  For some, you may have to yield your lives but concerning this Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends” (John 15:13).  Further, you need to “Google” the “Battle Hymn of the Republic” written in 1861 by Julia Ward Howe which could well become your “Battle Hymn”.  Please pay attention to the verse that says, “As He (Christ) died to make men holy, let us die to make men free.”

From the price American military persons have paid serving in various wars has arisen the saying, “Freedom is not free”.  If you genuinely want freedom, you must die for it.

I’m so sorry the American administration has not seen fit to intervene on your behalf in any way, but as a “believer” I can stand by you and pray God will strengthen you for the task that lies ahead.  And perhaps it might be said of you as of Old Testament Queen Esther by Mordecai, “Yet, who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this” (Esther 4:14b)?

Finally, the Apostle Paul said, “What then shall we say to these things?  If God is for us, who can be against us?  (Romans 8:31). 

America--We've Got a Problem!

Once it’s established an individual or nation has a problem, to deal with it, it first must be identified.  Currently America has problems that just won’t quit—even on informal news programs airing the latest tragedy or atrocity folk are saying, “What’s become of us as a nation?”   That’s actually a spiritual question. 

Before venturing what some would quickly call a too-simplistic answer, I want to quote a verse of scripture applicable to all nations:  “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord. . .” (Psalm 33:12a).  For God to be the Lord of a people, accountability must be established— can it be any other way?  And, if God is to be Lord, does it not follow that it must be on His terms?

The God of the Bible, even Jehovah God, is holy, just and righteous.  And, yes, He is full of mercy, but His mercy knows limits. 

Now, what is America’s problem?  It is S-I-N.  With no sense of “right” and “wrong” people go their own way and do their own thing, regardless of consequences, the essence of sin.  Dr. Karl A. Menninger was dealing with this in his memorable work, What Became of Sin? (Circa 1970).  His point:  no “sin”, no forgiveness.  However pleasurable a thing, if it’s wrong, it’s sin.  So people go about bearing a ton of unforgiveness because of inability or unwillingness to recognize and deal with sin.

And sin does have consequences.  Consider this in Israel’s experience, “So the Lord’s anger was aroused against Israel, and He made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation that had done evil in the sight of the Lord was gone” (Numbers 32:13).  Is it not possible God’s anger could be kindled against us?

Moses said a simple but powerful thing, “. . .be sure your sin will find you out” (Numbers 32:23).  America, our sin is finding us out.

It has been said, “Put sin out the door and it will come back in the window”.  Sin must be dealt with, it cannot be accommodated.  To deal with this Jesus died on the Cross that through the shedding of His blood, the power of sin might be broken once for all (see Hebrews 9:28).  But that protection is available only as His followers distance themselves from sin, and walk humbly before Him, following His commandments (John 13:33-35).

In 1955 I read  a book “Calvary Road” by Roy Hession a missionary-evangelist (first printed in 1950 but still available over the internet) detailing how revival in central Africa had been maintained for a number of years, centering about three things:  brokenness, repentance and confession of sin.  Using this work with study groups, emphasizing these elements, I have found this as basic (and painful), yet critical to spiritual health as it ever was.

We need to “beat a path” to the Cross and there, through repentance, again find forgiveness of sin.  Then, allow the Holy Spirit to “set us on fire” to carry this message everywhere we go.

 

 

 

Resumes Are Being Taken

Amidst a tight labor market in America and most other countries also, a multi-national conglomerate, controlled by one man is seeking persons to fill slots for every governmental post for every country in the world.  The pay-scale has not been released, but this C.E.O. will do right by his people—if history is any guide.

These positions will not be functionary, i.e., filling slots just to be filling a slots.  Each position will be meaningful and in certain instances only the most highly qualified will be considered.  Experience is critical and one’s previous job performance is paramount.

Know that you will be thoroughly “vetted” and the investigators will not miss even the most seeming innocuous behavior.  What you may have thought to have been done in secret, will be “put out there” for the whole world to see.

In this case the saying will be totally true, “It’s not what you know, but who you know” that will make all the difference.

An interesting phenomenon is developing that will tighten up this particular job market—persons are becoming aware this market will be available and are beginning to prepare themselves to take advantage of it.  All positions will be filled.

The Situation Explained

Jesus is seeking followers, one must have a vital relationship with Him, who will rule and reign with Him during the Millennium.   At present it appears many Christians have as their primary goal simply to get to heaven with scarce thought of taking up a new position in the Millennial Kingdom, ruling and reigning with Christ.

In several parables recorded in both Matthew and Luke, Jesus makes it patently clear that the way a person exercises present responsibility whether over talents or minas (or whatever), will determine exactly what level of responsibility they will have during the Millennium.  Some, because of their slothfulness will be in danger of losing their salvation (see Matthew 25:30).  While others, protesting their good works done in Jesus’ Name, done from the wrong motive will receive a most unwelcome benediction:  “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” (Matt. 7:23).

It’s imperative, then, you rightly know Jesus and are walking in obedience to all He requires of you.  To those who are honored and privileged to serve Christ through martyrdom, especially by being beheaded, have a special place of leadership accorded them in the Millennium (Revelation 20:4).

Have you sent in your resume?  Does it need to be updated?

Suppose You Were God

Taking counsel with yourself you have to determine what type of god you’re going to be—that’s a tough one but being god you’ve got the “smarts” to figure out what characteristics you’d want to live with or manifest.  Because, since it’s your universe you figure whatever you establish concerning anything will become the “norm”.  For example, suppose you wanted “fickleness” [“marked by erratic changeableness, especially in affections” {dictionary definition}] to be characteristic of your universe that would become the “norm”.  Anything that happened that wasn’t “fickle” would be alien to your kingdom or universe—you might even elect to call such non-fickleness “sin”.  Anything that’s a characteristic of your universe is also a reflection of your character; therefore you would be a “fickle” god.

Reader, you get the idea, God created the universe as a reflection of His own character and being—at least the only God we know of operates this way.

Because God is “social”, He created man.  The action is self-evident.  And, wouldn’t you know it, God created man in His own image (Genesis 1:27)—how could it be otherwise?  Making man just a little lower than Himself (Psalm 8:5), paving the way for them to visit in the most natural of relationships (Genesis 3:8).

Growing out of certain realities, namely that God was God and Adam was a created being, God established the rules—actually, there was only one rule, “And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, ‘Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die’” (Genesis 2:16 & 17). That was it—just one rule.  As it was this man had authority over the whole earth, had unlimited communion with his creator, and had the prospect of living forever upon the earth.  What more could he ask?  Well, there was the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil—it was probably the sweetest of all and God had forbade it to him.  Who did God think He was?  The negativity had been intimated by Lucifer through the serpent.

The entertainment of such thoughts was moving Adam, and now his partner, Eve, into some mighty dangerous territory; they were toying around with the notion of disobeying God!  Who knows how long they toyed around with the notion; doubtless long enough for it to consume their thoughts.  Then it happened—they partook of the fruit and immediately things began to happen.  First, a deep, deep darkness entered into their souls because their “spirit person” had died.  Then the “shekinah glory” of God (as some have conjectured) which heretofore covered Adam and Eve was gone and with it their innocence so that they saw themselves naked (Genesis 3:10).

Then God came calling.  He must.  Though He knew exactly what had happened, indeed knew before it happened, still He must speak with His children about what has happened.  (This was the first of the two most grievous meetings between God and His children, the other would take place at Calvary.)  The sinless God must speak with His children who only moments before were sinless.  Oh the agony, the anguish of that moment for God would be hidden until God’s only “begotten” Son paid the price at Calvary for what Adam and Eve had done.  Yes, Jesus, paid the price for the sins of the whole world but it would not have been any more or less had it been only for Adam and Eve. 

This is the price one pays for being God.  Since we can’t be God, doesn’t it make sense to be His most obedient sons and daughters?

Come, Mighty Prophets of God, Come!

When ancient Israel could not find her way, having turned away from God, a prophet would arise to point the way back to God.  This did not mean Israel would necessarily receive the “word of the Lord”, but it was delivered and the issues were made very clear what would happen to Israel did she not return to the Lord.

The Prophet Jeremiah at one such time spoke this on behalf of the Lord, “Even the stork in the heavens knows her appointed times; and the turtledove, the swift, and the swallow observe the time of their coming.  But My people do not know the judgment of the Lord” (Jeremiah 8:7).

Similarly, in different words Jeremiah expressed the same sentiment when he said the waves of the sea observe the bounds of sand that are set for them, but the people “have turned aside and gone away” (5:22,23).  Most succinctly put, Jeremiah says, all God’s creation follows His ordinances, but Israel? No!--to her own hurt and destruction.

Prophets weren’t just for the Old Testament, but for the New Testament era as well.  Then, given the condition of the church it must be asked, “Where are the prophets?”

We need prophets who can know and fearlessly “speak forth” the word of the Lord.  Certainly, various pastors in various places have spoken forth the “word of the Lord”, but where are they now?  God, through His prophet Malachi, gives us a hopeful answer:  “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.  And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse” (Malachi 4:5 & 6).

What a thrilling promise that in the face of mounting lawlessness in America, the breakup of the traditional (nuclear) home and the insipidness and worldliness of the church, God Himself will send “Elijah the prophet”.  This would not be literally so but like it was in Jesus’ day when He spoke of the ministry of John the Baptist, “And if you are willing to receive it, he (John the Baptist) is Elijah who is to come” (Matthew 11:14).  I believe it is possible to extrapolate from the promise in Malachi and the words of Jesus that a “company of prophets” will arise to put the church back on track “before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord” (Malachi 4:5).

Put another way, as John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus’ First Coming, so must many ministering in the spirit of the fiery prophet, Elijah, prepare the way for the 2^nd Coming of the Lord.  This, to repeat, must happen “before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord” (Malachi 4:5).

Given what I’ve said here I believe a primary work of the church is to pray the Lord of the Harvest to send the “Spirit of Elijah” to restore the church to its first love and become part of a mighty, threshing instrument to bring in the final harvest.

Be encouraged with me.

 

God Commands Man!

The Apostle Paul in his address on “Mars Hill” in Athens, contending with some resident philosophers, presented a case for the Athenians to come to know personally “The Unknown God” whom they worshipped ignorantly.

After presenting various proofs for God and making the case for the fact “in Him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28), Paul logically states that “. . .since we are the offspring of God we ought not think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man’s devising” (Acts 17:29).  Essentially, Paul says you worshipped such gods out of ignorance, “Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:28).

Here we see God is not making a suggestion, He is issuing a command.

Why are we to “repent”, i.e., turn from our own ways and turn to following God’s ways?  Paul answers, “. . . because He (God) has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man (Christ Jesus) whom He has ordained.  He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead” (Acts 17:31).

This fearful prospect puts the heavy responsibility and privilege on the Church to "get the 'word' out", to make Christ Jesus known, that He died for  the sins of the whole world (John 3:16), that people might repent and embrace Him as their Savior, Lord and King.

In another place the Apostle Peter jumps into this discussion saying, “. . . that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to 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 creation” (I Peter 3:3&4).

Peter continues that these scoffers willfully forget that God once judged the earth with water in which everyone, save Noah and his family perished, choosing not to believe that God will judge the world again.

Peter further says, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (I Peter 3:19).

There it is again—a sweeping call to repentance.

Then follows this awesome word:  “But the day of the Lord will come” (I Peter 3:10a).

Count on it!