CRISIS HOUR

Crisis Hour

March, 2018

Desperate times; evil happenings; increase of sin; the church powerless; church void of the Presence of God; souls perishing into eternal hell;

These are a few of the phrases that should alarm the church.  The  Christian should understand the times that we are in, so as to war a good warfare.  And that there are victories to be won; there are souls to be saved; there is the work of our Lord's kingdom to be done in the midst of these troublesome times.  So in the midst of such times, are we sowing and reaping? are we praying so as to prevail? are we overcoming? are we gaining more than we are losing?

To the answer of such questions, it is to be determined where we are in this crisis hour.  It is much on my mind and heart about these things and the progression of evil.  The following is to discern what's going on; where are we headed; and what is the answer for our day.

1.  What's going on

--Remedial Judgements

It has been the unfortunate timing of our day to watch the collapse of our nation, the home, and the church.  To watch as the government, educators, and the church seek for answers to why things are falling apart and getting to this crisis hour.  And when it is presented that the simple answer to this is a spiritual answer, it is largely dismissed.  Yea, even by the church and its leaders.  But true enough, in the Holy Writ is the answer to our crisis hour;  we are under remedial judgement from God.

The activity of our day is clearly spelled out in Scripture, as God has revealed it to what shall be, and what is in this crisis hour.  And in God's Divine mercy and grace, He has spoken to make us aware of this and as well the remedy to this crisis hour.  Only fools dismiss the Word of God that is clearly revealing to us why this crisis is upon us.  We have sinned against the Lord, and have provoked Him to anger, fury and wrath.  This provocation unto God Almighty is found in His response to our actions and choices that we term remedial judgements.

Remedial judgements are a cause and affect application between us and God.  God is able to bless and curse, depending on our reactions, and responses unto Him.  These remedial judgements are sent by God as a means to correct our behavior that is not right in His sight.  The longer the duration of walking contrary to Him, the greater and more severe the judgements become.  Until at lat, the judgements reach a point of no return, in which the phrase of Scripture is rendered, 'remove you from the earth'.   Or as at the end of II Chronicles 36, "till there was no remedy". 

Remedial judgements come in waves of time and subsequent increase in its implementation.  The greater and the longer the sin, there is an increase in response upon the person, the nation, or the church in these judgements.  In my life time, and especially focusing on this century, 2000-2018, the increase of remedial judgements is alarming and frightening for our time.  It also produces quite the alarm of urgency to know that these increases are pushing us to a place of no return.  When you have to convey this to the church leadership, with their refusal to understand or see it, it is even more alarming.  For then it renders to me, that the Lord is refusing to allow them to see it, 'having eyes to see, but cannot see'.  For what purpose? So that He might bring it to pass.

Remedial judgements come in numerous spheres of our nation, society, church, family and hearts.  Here are a few to see its impact:
--natural conditions; disasters, calamities, destruction, severity, loss of life, impacts over time, etc.
--home; families relationship; marriages; future generations, etc.
--government; leaders, laws, judicial edicts, godly vs. ungdoly;
--society; homicides, murder-suicides, mass shootings, school shooting, cops being shot, etc.
--plagues; cancer, drug epidemic, diseases - flu, measles, Zika, etc.
--economy; collapse, debt, financial institutions, prices, etc.
--military; war, preparation; destruction, enemies prevail, etc.
--church; loss of power, importance, influence, Spirit-less, prayer-less, unholy, etc.

These are the influences and making up of our lives in this day and time, and in this place.  It is all a by product of reaping what you sow.  To sow in sin, is to reap the curse from God upon all that we touch.  To sow to God and His ways, is to reap bountiful blessings of His provision, protection, and power. 


--Status of the Church

It is necessary to hear and see where the church is and what is happening.  Now granted it is beyond us to see and hear all that is going on.  For in the midst of such times of evil, that brings us to this crisis hour, the  church has much to rejoice in of growth and advancement.  These testimonies and wonders are great encouragement and are always joyful and refreshing amidst the increase of evil.  Yet I find that many in the church seek to promote just the one side, just focus on the good news.  But this is a missing of the reality of our day.  The whole is made up of the good and the bad; the reality is blessings & judgements.  Not just one or the other; and the reality of our day is both.  The reality of our day, is that with 330 million (est.) as a population for the US;  there is estimated to be on any given Sunday around 30 million attending church with a regular status.  And even if attendance was closer to 50 or 60 million (doubling it) offering a 20% attendance, this is not the bottom line for our consideration.  Half of the population, 50%,  can be in church, attending, but that does not make them followers of Christ, or disciples.  we look at a 10%, and to some this is being generous of our status of followers of Christ, that understand the surrender required to be a Christian.  Tozer, Ravenhill and Richard Owen Roberts have quoted each other in this statement:  "What would happen or change in the church if real revival came?"  Their response, "The first thing would happen would be, 90% of the church would truly be born again."

so within this 10% of our population that are in church, they know the truth, or at least a cognitive ability of the truth, there is a movement happening.  They do recognize the crisis hour.  They are hearing of the remedial judgement and beginning to put 2 and 2 together.  But there is still upon the majority a apathetic state unless it hits in their own backyard.  Then when it hits home, they respond, or at least, stirred emotional for that moment to do something.

The issue and conversation about 'Holiness' is something in which I do not hear or see.  I believe this to be a central issue for the church today.  Christ command is easy, 'Be ye holy, for I am holy'.  "I, Whose Name is Holy, dwell in the high and lofty place, with him that is of a broken and contrite spirit".  Is this among the church today or not?  Is brokenness, contrition and the pursuit of holiness our objective and priority?   I find it hard to have conversations among saints about holiness; I find them absent from the lifestyles and daily practices of many in the pulpits and pews.  Yet, it is the highest marks that God sets as a standard to be Christ-like.  This should not be void or distant from the church, but as a sweet smelling aroma before God and before the world. 

Now understand that in making a generalization of these statuses, it is not as precise as I or you may want, but it is reflective of our position and condition.  The ignoring, or the defensive position to excuse, or explain our folly away is to miss the point, and that this is also a part of the crisis.  Way too many in the church when such conversations come up immediately go on the defensive position that 'we aren't so bad'.  Brethren, its a crisis hour for a reason, and nothing short of addressing such things is necessary  

And lastly, for the moment, there has been the quickening of the church to seek through prayer for real revival.  Now there is still a lot of ignorance in this conversation about prayer and revival, but the desire and seeking for it is definitely increased through the midst of this crisis hour.  But we have not reached that level or the remnant that is talking and seeking revival for holiness, and glorying unto God.  I do believe that many are seeking revival because it is an escape from remedial judgements and a return to former days of solace and increase of goods without the product of our present day conditions of harm and evil. 

--Response of the people, saint and sinner  

It seems that without an urgent understanding of our crisis hour, that men's hearts will fail them.  The church will not be moved enough to respond to this crisis hour, thus hastening the final response of God upon a sinful nation and disobedient people. So that as we see the response, or the failure to respond of the church, the sinner, the heathen, become more blatant, more profound in their disdain for the things of God.  Oh, how they rail on the church, with this seemingly master plan to eradicate God from all avenues and venues of our society and future.  The sinners of this hellish agenda, are pawns of Satan, and they are rapidly advancing this agenda in our day.  Unfortunately, the saint seems to be oblivious to this and in its sleeping mode, its apathy, it is allowing for it to gain momentum.

So here we are now at a tipping point, I believe in this year.  God has waited for His church to stir itself up and seek Him.  Not only for Who He is, for all Christians should seek Him and find Him and not let Him go.  But also for what we see in this day.  In times of trials, afflictions, difficultites, God's people will seek His face and hand of help for the hour of need.  But this is not the case; we are only seeking Him halfheartedly.  And with the arising of interest in revival and prayer, one would think the simply desire to see God's mighty hand work wondrously as in days gone by.  But alas! the hearts of men fail because the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.

Now with the failure of the church to arise, evil has taken the ground.  Now God is able to 'come suddenly'.  But it will be because the Lord stirred the heart of someone and they got alone with Him and prevailed.  The very existence of our future is found in the response of the church today.  The half-heartedness practiced by so many will not avail; there must be another spirit within us that causes us to pray so as to prevail with Him.  Without that spirit of prevailing, Satan and evil will swallow up our future and our loved ones.  It is solely based on the response of the church in this hour to prevail.  Everything is at stake here and now.

It begins with me.  Each one of us, has to examine where we are and where we need to be.  Only in the corporate times is their blessings when the individual has gotten right with God.  My thoughts, my words, my deeds, my time spent must all be examined and to see, is it for me? or is it for Him?   


2.  Where are we headed

If the current status of our crisis hour is not enough to cause an alarm of response by the church, and/or by the nation; then perhaps where we are headed may do so.  But needless to say, there is a warning, that as things get worse, it does not guarantee a humble, contrite spirit by men.  For in Revelation, we read that when God is pouring out the judgements of wrath in the end time, that men would not repent; but they cursed God.  It is not enough for the church to rest on disaster and crisis to get us to respond rightly.  For the hearts of men may fail and harden, just as Pharaoh did.  And just as the 10 plagues upon Egypt constricted upon the people, upon the land, upon life, so too this is we are headed in this crisis hour.  The answer is clear, we are headed for greater, more historic and epic calamities in the days ahead. 

Let us examine and see the progression of evil that is causing this crisis hour to deepen into chaos, and greater sorrow for our future. 

--Activity of men;  Jesus declared, 'that out of the heart proceedeth these evil things'.  As the heart and the minds of men during the days of Noah were of greater evil, so we see the increase today.  'and God saw that the thoughts of men were continually evil'.  This will increase as men multiply, sinners increase and holiness lessens.  The absence of God in our nation over the last 50 years is alarming.  and this void of God has been filled with hell.  We are reaping this that has been sown for these decades.  Therefore we see the greater destruction on our land and know the certainty, that without a Divine repeal of this course, men will grow worse and worse in their conduct, thoughts, words and deeds.

These are the reasons we see in the headlines, greater moments of disasters, school shootings, mass shootings, drug epidemics, divorce, broken lives, broken homes.  Seeing there is the absence of God, there is nothing to stop this progression and increase of evil on the streets, in the homes, and in the souls of men.  More records of evil, greater evidences of the practice of perversion, legalizing and judicial edicts to promote and increase the practice of men to increase evil. These things do not come out of no where, they have been brought forth in people in days gone by.  Paul writes in Romans 1 about the great evil of the Roman empire.  These things are brought back and introduced upon a nation, a society again.

Men grow more evil and more sinful.  All this leads to that Romans 1, 'God gives them over to a reprobate mind'.  Their evils increase, all the while the church decreases.  And I do believe that at the center of it, is the intercessors are removed from the land, thus God can send forth His judgements because there is none to 'stand in the gap' to plead with God,  'in wrath remember mercy'.  These evils deepen in the mind set, in the daily practices of men and they pervert the next generation that it only escalates in provoking God.  Too often in history and in the bible with Israel and Judah we see this truth unfold to their own demise.  Knowing this truth, one would believe that the church should respond to this crisis hour, rather than vacation and retreat from it. 

--greater catastrophes;  Now again, everything of the future is dependent on the current response of the church today.  Failure of the church to respond, allows for these things to increase in disaster and destruction.  God allows for Satan and the choices of men to be played out due to their forsaking and forgetting Him.  Looking at the places of where current remedial judgements are happening, we see the increase of catastrophes to impact and affect.  One of the most central areas we have seen this centruy thus far, is in natural catastrophes.  Wildfires, hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, and drought are the biggest ones.  But this does not rule out the other things often forgotten, such as earthquakes, volcanoes, and war.  The demise of the home, marriage, impacting future generations is without weight of the impact on this increase of evil.  Satan has masterfully done this as the church not only falls prey to it, but holds no sense of urgent reclaiming of this lost Godly establishment. 


--greater loss of life;  this has been one of the notable increases of alarm in our crisis hour, and there is no reason to suspect it will lessen, but will only increase; it is the loss of life.  Greater numbers of death have gone from the 1's and 2's, to the dozens, and now in to the 1,000's.  Death and dying the final assault on life; robbed of opportunity, time, and failure to prepare for eternity is the worst scenario.

--greater evil; One of the things that has been observed thus far into this century, is the great increase of evil in the minds and hearts of men.  Jesus said, 'out of the heart proceeds these things of sin/evil'.  And we are seeing in the headlines all the evil, that 30 years ago, we would never have imagined to see in our life time.  And we are now left with that question, how far will this go?  Without a Divine intervention that stops this forward progress of evil, it will increase and grow worse.  Many look to the prophecy that in the last days things shall grow worse and worse.  



3.  What is the Answer for our Day

I am convinced that we are in a day of two paths, revival or judgement.  But this is not to limit that they may be the same path;  in judgement, revival may come.  Or after God sends real revival, the judgement pending may occur, as it did upon the death of King Josiah, for the sins of Manasseh.  On our continued course, as I have written above, final judgement on our nation and the church in North America is certain.  Yet, knowing God's response, reactions and reasons, He is able to change it all by Manifesting His Divine Presence.  so let us look at these two courses and see the potential of a Divine answer for our day in which God is glorified, souls are saved, the church is pleasing to Him, holiness is restored and sin and evil are overcome.


1.  Revival;  the Divine visitation by God is the needed response for the church today.  No works or men has helped, nor lasted.  No means, methods, or ministries have prevailed over this increase of evil and crisis hour.  We need God, and Him alone.  For found in Him is all that the church will ever need to prevail the evil of our day.  Failure to see God come in power of His glory for the redemption of the lost, the sanctifying of the saints, will bring us to our end.  Nothing short of God's Spirit upon the church will do, this must be understood.  Failure to understand only allows for the humanism of church leaders to continue in their humanistic approach to do Divine things without the Divine Presence.

--the prayer movement; Greg Frizzell has taught for decades now that the prayer movement has steadily increased over the last 50 years; however, we have also seen the decrease in church, baptisms, holiness and an increase in evil.  so it can be deduced that something is wrong with the prayer movement.  It is great to have a swell of numbers participating.  But the prayer movement must evaluate that in these numbers are they 'saying ' prayers, going through the motions of prayer, or are they bent on prevailing in prayer.

With the focus of many on prayer, it is of great encouragement.  But one danger is, that the focus and contentment of prayer is solely or mostly on the increase in numbers or conversation about prayer.  No, I believe with all my heart that prayer of the one or two, alone with God, tucked away in that secret closet prevails more than 2000 in an open prayer meeting that 'goes through the motions'.   When Rees Howell's wife shared with Leonard Ravenhill about her husband having that time in his life, that he was sealed away with God for 11 months.  she said, 'there's the room that he would pray 12 hours a day and the only day he missed was the day his mother died.  such groanings and pleadings came from that room.'   Ah, I believe this to be the most needed thing in the prayer movement.  How much is done by the intercessor, unbeknownst to men, but known to God!

--holiness;  I wrote above on this in the status of the church, but it is needful to address it here for it is the chief characteristic of real revival.  Watching Christians, and the church slip further into sin, compromise with the world, ungodly choices, it is quite apparent that we are not holy, as He is holy.  Now when revival comes, it will restore holiness to the church.  Too long as the church has been seduced, ravaged, and defiled by Satan, self and sin.  The striving of each Christian is to make sure the old is dead, put away and banished; and the new is embraced, followed and obeyed.  And this much is true, one of the great things of revival, God's people look and sound like God's people.  there is no more a divided stance, lifestyle or pattern of sin.

And this holiness indwelt by Christ and the power of the Holy Ghost is drastically increased into daily lives, homes, communities and the church.  It becomes a desire and appetite like none other. Holiness prevails among the church and sin and evil is put down.  Great advancements of the church is made in missions, evangelism, spiritual disciplines because we are at one with the Father.  Why the church cannot see this and pursue this today, I do not know!  But because these things are absent, yet they still want baptisms, souls saved, churches planted and grown; yet, they do not want to do it God's way.  Holiness is not sought nor restored, but humanism is the language and prevails in the plans of the church.

But during the days of revival, all that is wrong, is made wrong; sin is put away and holiness is returned to God's people as it should be.

2.  Judgement; Let there be no mistake on this.  We are under judgement right now.  these remedial judgements are coming upon us, for the sake of God's people humbling themselves and returning to their first love.  Now whether we see the whole nation, or the whole church return as in the fashion, above mentioned of real revival, is yet to be seen.  But whether revival comes or not, it is a Sovereign act of God.  but one thing is certain, God will judge America.   Abortion, homosexuality, greed, self, lusts, perversion, continuance of evil and sin; all the while, the hearts of men, the souls of men delivered to reprobate minds, lives forfeited for the pleasures of this world, all the while forsaking the hope of pleasures in eternity with Christ.  this is our world and time.  How few in the realms of our nation, of our churches are those souls  'plucked from the burning'.  'Few there be that be saved'; 'but many there be that perish on that broad and wide way that leads to eternal damnation.'

Is God not able?  Is not willing to rescue? to deliver?  Most certainly He is and He has stated, 'I would that none perish; I would that none would go away from Me.'  However, we know this is God's will, but God has allowed for the choices and the hearts of men to make that decision of saying 'yea' to Hm, or 'nay' to Him.  Just as it was in the days of Noah, that judgement was coming, and that God knew it, and prepared for it.  HE made Noah spend over 100 years building an ark and preaching to the people a warning, 'to flee from the wrath to come'.  And just as Jonah was sent by God's mercy to preach to  Nineveh that they had 40 days before judgement.   Yet, in this situation, the king and the whole city humbled themselves and repented and they found God's mercy.  But Jonah arrived preaching the same thing, 'repent, for the wrath of God is coming.'   Judgement;  'flee from the wrath to come' is upon us as a nation, and as the church.  this is  due to the souls of men,for  'their hearts were continually evil toward God'.

The understanding of judgement almost seems as it is void in the minds of the church and definitely in the wicked, lost souls of this nation.  But judgement is that God meets men in this place of wickedness and cuts them off.  Or as the phrase of the wicked kings of Israel, 'removed them from the earth'.  After giving time, after mercy, after grace, after proclamation God rises up and meets them in His wrath.  Long has God's long-suffering been with us to give us time; time in which we have squandered and missed. 

   





Started:  March 22, 2018

Continued:  3/23; 3/24; 3/29; 3/31;  4/5;

Finished: