Click on the links below to watch the videos:
Prophetic: Election and 2021 - John Fenn
Snowmelt-runoff fed Medano Creek in Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado
Video date shows May 2019. I hear the waves can be up to 3 feet high earlier in the snowmelt-runoff season!
Hi all,
I
closed last week talking about how Gallio the Roman Senator and Judge,
had refused to make being a Christian a federal offense, but the laws
were soon to change.
Within
a few years the Caesar's changed the law, making it required federal
law to worship the Caesar and proclaim loyalty to Rome. Christians died
by the thousands over the next 2 1/2 centuries because they refused to
worship Caesar and proclaim their loyalty to the Empire. They were
executed as traitors.
Worship of the State or the Leader
Historically,
once the process of judging one's loyalty as a citizen by a person's
religion starts in a nation and culture, it progresses over a relatively
short time. Daniel was initially treated well, fed the best food, the
best education. But over a short time the enemies in society turned his
faith in God into being unpatriotic to the King. Daniel's open worship
of the Lord was twisted as a statement of disloyalty to the king and
laws of the land.
In
New Testament times, what started in Jerusalem as a dispute among Jews
about a sect who believed Jesus is the Messiah, within a few decades
turned into the accusation Christians were unpatriotic towards Rome.
Their values were different, their allegiance was to Jesus rather than
the government; they were counter culture.
In
Nazi Germany laws were made in 1920 against Jews, followed by others in
1933 and 1935. Dachau, the first Nazi death camp, opened in 1933 with
rapid expansion within 10 years to over 1,000 camps through 1944.
Besides Jews and Christians, political conservatives were accused of
being unpatriotic to Hitler. Look at China today sending Christian
Uyghurs and ethnic Han Chinese to 'reeducation' camps, which are well
publicized yet nations still do business with China.
What to watch for is this:
Faith in Jesus will be looked upon as weird, unpatriotic, and worse; the reason
a nation has trouble. First leaders, and then society and common
culture will change because they will want to quiet or eliminate in some
way, the influence of those with faith. As with Daniel, Jesus, 1st
century Christians, Jews and Christians and conservatives in Nazi
Germany; we will be blamed for the ills of society. We will be viewed
as prevention a nation from progressing.
What starts small, even on a local level, becomes federal within a few years. Fear that 'religious' people will force their
values on a nation. Hatred for the principles that build nations and
families becomes the norm. The State seeks to control everything. Media
becomes a tool of the government. Character assassination and lawsuits
directed towards selected situations, individuals, leaders, and anyone
who differs with the State policy happens.
Neighbors
spy on neighbors, laws are enacted to facilitate such things. Daniel
was called a traitor after being spied on by coworkers. Jesus was
betrayed by a disciple, and Peter, Paul and thousands of Christians in
Rome were labeled enemies of Rome. The State tries to control everyone,
and the media and culture help, seeking conformity and punishing those
who are different.
No
matter the nation, the mob mentality wants everyone to conform and
those who don't are labeled, separated, hated. In The Revelation, if you
want to buy or sell, you must first state your allegiance to the
system/man and then you receive a mark that allows you to buy and sell.
Conformity. Uniformity. Allegiance.
We
see these things developing around the world today in whole nations all
at the same time, and some Christians just as they did in Paul's time,
will conform to the values of the ruling elite. But others will not.
Thus we will see some churches going the way of the world in the name of
being relevant, and some Christians who refuse to conform. We're not
only different, we refuse to be the same.
What Jesus is doing
So
that is the direction the world is going, but what is Jesus doing? He
is moving in the opposite direction. He started in the home with Adam
& Eve and has never left. His values have never changed: I was
hungry, thirsty, naked, a stranger, sick, in prison, and you fed,
watered, clothed, befriended and visited me. He is meek, lowly,
approachable, come and be taught by Him. Jesus is about the people in
the pews, not about the laser light show at the 'worship' or the coffee
shop in the foyer. His idea of being relevant means taking care of
people where they live.
He
is all about everyday things like one's basic provision, connectedness,
relationships, friendships. When the early church was born at Pentecost
Acts 2: 42 says their meetings included these 4 elements: Teaching,
fellowship, food, prayer. Fellowship is holy, not an afterthought to a
meeting as in, 'After our service we will have fellowship in the kitchen
area.' They met in homes and knowing one another was important - and
that is where God moved to heal, answer prayer, connect people in caring
godly relationships.
Without
fanfare Jesus is moving in the midst of relationships among believers.
We are seeing more healings, more miracles, more answered prayer in our
network than ever before. It doesn't matter whether it happens in a web
meeting or in someone's home, around the world the Lord is on the move.
Being meek and lowly in heart, He doesn't seek media attention - He just
goes about His business as He always has.
In
the visitation of December 2019 and in a recent visitation, the Lord
expanded His comments to me about how house churches would be known as
the place to go for answered prayer, provision, and miracles in one's
life. .
Christianity must be spiritual and have the Spirit of God moving in our midst
If
we don't regularly have the Holy Spirit in us and through us towards
others we end up having a form of godliness yet denying the power. It's
not their fault: The auditorium church structure of service doesn't
allow for everyone to move in the Spirit or receive prayer in small
groups. As a result, we have Christians who know all about Jesus, but
have never seen the Holy Spirit move in their midst.
Worse
yet, we have pastors who know how to lead a service but not how to move
in the gifts of the Spirit. We have worship leaders who know how to
lead a service, but not how to set the stage for the Holy Spirit to move
in the midst. Many Christians know about Him, but don't know Him.
They don't know the Father.
We
all need to know that Christ really does live in us and speaks to us,
and guides us, and shows us things to come. Without Him in our midst we
have a form of godliness but don't know the power thereof.
Just
like in the early church in Acts 2-4, just like in Rome during times of
persecution, just like in nations in the last 2,000 years that have
persecuted Christians, there is coming a time when many of those
Christians who are in close relationships with others in home based
meetings will have their needs met while many on the outside will be in
need. Even in the US, we may have a reprieve, but that is all it is.
Remember what the Lord told me 2/4/2001: "As it was in the beginning so
it must be now; I'm moving in relationships."
Sobering to think about - new subject next week, until then, blessings,
John Fenn
Church Without Walls International
This
is a series for the times we are living in. I am sharing all three
installments of the topic with prophetic video at the beginning of each
one.
Maranatha,
Anna
