Prophecy / Eschatology    - 

Pastor Brett Peterson, Coastland Christian Bible College and University – more than a seminary:  www.ccbcu.edu  Understanding the Pre-wrath view:  Pre-wrath consortium  A great Church in Southern California:  Living Water Fellowship

 

Before we get into prophecy, I feel I need to share the following with you…

 

Have you ever been aroused from a good night’s sleep with a song on your heart?  This particular morning was like that.  My first conscious thought was ‘I see the Lord, sitting on His throne’.  As I lay there I had sweet fellowship with God.  My wife, peacefully sleeping next to me, had no idea I was also praying for her.  I prayed for Cody, my son, as well.   I felt truly blessed.  I thanked God for the family and home He has given me.  I was filled with joy afresh as I considered that my heart is Christ’s home.  In fact, for many years now I have experienced a communion with God that permeates every waking moment.  I rose from our bed looking forward to the adventure God would lead me on that day.  I poured a cup of coffee and brought in the morning paper.  What a glorious day!  As I laid my Bible next to the paper, I noticed a strange headline – specifically; ‘Would Jesus drive an SUV?’  Now, as a Bible college teacher, I love to ponder questions that many people don’t even give a second thought to.  So, I was hooked.  I began to consider it.    It is reminiscent of the question many Christians have asked themselves; ‘What would Jesus do?’  As I considered both questions, I found myself lost on a philosophical and Biblical journey into the ethics and practices of Jesus, and trying to picture Him living in the 21st century.  In the midst of my intensely contemplative mood, I was abruptly interrupted with another thought - an overwhelming feeling that the real question should be; ‘What would Jesus say?’  If Jesus were here right now, how would He answer that question?  It’s as if Jesus said to me, ‘hey, why don’t you ask me?’  I was speechless.  This was one of those moments where you know God is speaking to you.  How often do I make decisions and run my life without even considering what Jesus would want me to do.  In asking ourselves ‘what would Jesus do?’ we are essentially saying, ‘I can answer that question’.  Also, it leaves Him out of the equation.  We formulate our own opinion of what a historical man named Jesus would do if He were here.  God began to speak to me very clearly.  The idea was this;  you can speculate and guess what Jesus would do if He were here, but that doesn’t bring you closer to Christ.  What we should be asking is ‘what would Jesus say?’.  In fact, we should ask Him directly.  This allows Jesus to be part of our life.  He becomes involved in our very thought process.  And, more often than not, He begins to answer those questions!  If you are a believer, Jesus is living in your heart – and He desires to be a part of your life.   If we ask, ‘Jesus, what do you want to tell me regarding this situation?’ we are praying and expecting an answer!  Wow, consider what would happen in your life if you actually prayed without ceasing!  Paul gives us Jesus’ instruction in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-19 “(16) Rejoice always; (17) pray without ceasing; (18) in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.  (19) Do not quench the Spirit;”

 

If Jesus were here today, what would His message be to the church?  What would He say to the world?  What is the Heart of Jesus for you today?  What is God’s will for your life?  What would Jesus say to you right now if He were with you?  The fact of the matter is this;  He is with you right now!

I prayed about the question for some time – and I felt compelled to just sit down at my laptop and start typing – by faith.  I encourage you to find a comfortable spot, pour yourself some tea (you may need viente mocha cappuccino), and get ready to embark on a reading adventure that could change the course of your life – and actually bring you to the place that God begins to use you to build His kingdom!  When you ask, ‘What would Jesus say?’ (or better ask Him for His direction) you will begin to experience His leading and guiding.  Your Christian walk will become an adventure! 

I’ve always been a thrill seeker – an adventurer.  But there is no greater adventure that being a Christian!  You may be thinking, ‘how do you know?’  Well, I have had my share of adventure.  I grew up riding motocross and hunting.  I did every extreme sport I could.  I also loved backpacking. Every chance we got, my two best friends and I would drive to the Sierras and pack in to some secluded lake or pristine river. Being the men that we were, we would drink in the thrill of being alone in God’s country, most of the time at least a three day’s walk to the nearest road.

When you’re out there so far from everything you have learned to depend on, like a store to buy whatever you need, or the knowledge that if you broke a leg or hurt yourself you could be at a hospital within a few minutes, you begin to understand what it is like to be totally self dependent for everything you need to survive. A very wise man once said there are no atheists at sea, and I finally understood what he meant - when you have to be self reliant to survive, you realize how limited you really are and how much you need God at the helm of your life leading, guiding, and providing for you all things pertaining to life and Godliness. The realization that I was a three day journey from the nearest road, and then at least an hour drive to the nearest small mountain community would overwhelm me at times, usually late in the afternoon after a day filled with fishing, rock climbing, carving a walking stick, or just laying in the sun allowing the balm of the wilderness to free my mind. As the sun would begin to hide itself behind a distant ridge, I would realize I wasn’t in a camp ground, I was in the untamed wilderness, far away from anything remotely resembling life in modernized America. At that time I would look towards the heavens and thank God for His provision and grace which He abundantly pours into my life every moment of every day. His peace would flow into my mind along with a wealth of creative thought, as if God Himself was pouring inspiration into my consciousness. I would ponder many things - or just walk and day dream.

My favorite day dreams were those concerning the great wilderness I was in, for even though time goes on and people change, the wilderness does not. That big sequoia tree over there could be the same one a mountain man rested under 100 years ago. Oh yes, out there I could as well have been a Knight in some enchanted forest, 3 days walk from the castle, or a mountain man in the mid 1800’s out tracking bear, the only difference at that moment in that place was the cloths on my back and the tent I would sleep in. This is when a boy truly becomes a man - when a philosopher truly understands mans place in the ecosystem of this world - when a poet experiences the most glorious beauty and sense of wonder and contrasts that to the sometimes hostile and bleak environment in which he dwells - and when a theologian looks God in the face, through the majesty of His creation, and praises Him for His workmanship. Up there, my mind assumed the role of each of the afore mentioned individuals, and in each role I would come to the same conclusion - God created man in a universe that seems to be endless, and God created in man an imagination that is equally as immense, along with the rational to know that and see Gods signature right there in our own thought process and creativity as well as in the universe.

In fact the Bible is clear that God reveals Himself to all mankind - specifically in Romans 1:18-25 - which says; “for the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since that which is known about God is evident within them, for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so men are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God, or give thanks to Him, but they became futile in their speculations and thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. “Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the Glory of the incorruptible God, for images made in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. Because of this God gave them over to the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity, degrading their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth for a lie - and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator-who is forever praised. Amen.”

When you begin to know God, He takes the helm of your life and you know longer have to worry about anything – you can totally trust Him – and He will lead you and meet your every need.

He has taken me on some great adventures – when you include Jesus in your life, God makes your life a wonderful adventure.

How refreshing and exciting it is to experience God’s direction – knowing what you are doing is overseen by the God who holds the universe together!  God directs us in many ways.  This includes dreams (not all dreams – you know if God is using a dream to speak to you – it is very clear).  Let me share how He directed me with a dream.

The dream was the most vivid dream I had ever experienced. I was living on a sail boat, and I was sharing the gospel with people on other boats all around me.  The dream was so real – I evened sailed in the dream (later I found out that everything I did in the dream came to pass, even the proper way to sail a boat!).  When I woke up, I felt God directing me to live on a boat and minister to people on the ‘coastlands’. He put a verse on my heart, Isaiah 42:4 “He will not be disheartened or crushed Until He has established justice in the earth; And the coastlands will wait expectantly for His law.”  He told me the Coastlands were waiting for someone to bring them the good news of the Gospel.  I heard that still small voice in my heart gently ask, ‘will you go?’

I continued to pray about this dream, and God continued to put a burden on my heart for the coastland. I had only been on the ocean in a boat 1 time, and I had never been sailing, yet God was calling me to take this radical step of faith and move onto a boat and preach His word to the coastlands. I had two major concerns with the plan. 1. I knew nothing about sailing, boating, or the ocean. 2. I had no desire to learn. Frankly, I could not understand why God was leading me to do this - I truly hoped He was just testing me to see if I would be willing to do this, and I wouldn’t actually have to go through with it.  The burden to do this grew greater, and I finally set out to change the course of my life.  I began calling Yacht dealers.  I told them how much money I had and that I needed a sailboat I could live on.  They would laugh and say I could buy a ‘fixer upper’ for that price, but she wouldn’t be sea worthy.  I was so glad!  I told God I tried, but there was simply no way I could afford a boat and do what I felt He was calling me to do.  I left it in His capable hands.

Six months went by, and I had forgotten the dream.  Then, one morning, out of the blue I receive a call from Eddie Arnold sailboats in Newport Beach.  I was in San Bernardino preaching at various churches and running a community center there.  The voice on the phone said, “Hey, Brad”, I said, “no, this is Brett”, and he replied, “Brett –I found your phone number in my desk drawer, and I’m wondering if your still looking for a sailboat.  A gentleman dropped off a boat he had purchased from us and told us to sell it for whatever we could get, because he was leaving the country.  We have a shipment of new boats arriving late this afternoon and I have to sell that boat today.  We’ll give it to you for the price you gave us plus one thousand dollars.”  I was in shock.  Could this be from the Lord?  He began to tell me about the boat and I began to pray, “Lord, if you really want me to do this, give me a sign.”  The man on the phone finally said, “oh, the boat has a name on it, let’s see…, ‘Salvation’ – it really is a clean yacht.”  As soon as he said the name, the Holy Spirit came upon me and I knew.  Site unseen, I agreed to buy the boat.  It was time to leave San Bernardino.  I went to the bank and got a cashier’s check for the boat.  I made the hour drive to Newport Beach, and I found Eddie Arnold Sailboats.  I introduced myself and handed the gentleman the check.  We did the paperwork and he handed me the keys.  I looked at the keys (I still hadn’t seen the boat), and I informed him that I had no idea what to do.  “Do you know how to sail?” he asked.  ‘No’ was my reply.  He called one of his deck hands into the office and told him to show me how to sail but he only gave him 20 minutes to show me.

An exert from my personal log…

“My first sail out of the harbor – I’m sailing from Newport to Dana Point.  I picked up the logistics of sailing a boat very fast.  I really don’t know why, because I only had one lesson, if you can call 20 minutes instruction from a teenage a lesson in sailing!  I do remember sailing in my dream though.  It is as if God taught me how to sail.   I have been practicing in the harbor and preparing for this voyage.  As I left the calm of the harbor, and the swells began to push my boat, I felt totally unequipped to make this trip.  It took me about an hour to learn how to sail in the 5 foot swells.  And then, it all came together – the wind, the swells, and my boat all worked together – it was beautiful!  I began moving faster than I thought a sailboat could go – and for the first time since I had moved onto the boat, I felt a love for sailing.  I thanked God for putting me here, and I looked forward to the great adventure that awaited me.”

 

The emotions I had on this maiden voyage are a lot like those a new believer experience – or an old believer who begins to seek the Lord for direction in His life and actually knows God is leading Him.  At first it’s exciting, but when you actually take your faith with you to the work place, or to your friends, or wherever God is leading you, you begin to leave the safety of the church and become a little unsure.  But then God fills you with His peace.  It is when you feel the Spirit of God directing you and you experience His presence.  And suddenly your faith fills you with love for Him and you begin to view your walk as an adventure.   Jesus takes the helm of your life and you ask ‘what is Jesus saying to me now?’ 

If you’ve lost that sense of adventure in your walk with Jesus, or you never have experienced it, today may be a new beginning in your Christian experience.  As you begin to consider what Jesus is trying to tell you – what His message is for you in your life – and you sense His leading and guiding you – you will begin to live the greatest adventure and most fulfilling life that you could ever imagine.   If Jesus were with you right now, what would He say?  Think about it for a moment before you continue reading – pray right now – ask Him!  He will tell you!  It may come in a ‘still, small voice’.  It may come from a thought that is not your own.  It may come through a verse that you read.  It may come through someone calling you and sharing a verse or exhortation with you.  It may come through a sermon on the radio, or a tape, or at Church.  But get ready – His answer will come!

 

An Exert from my personal log…

I’ve left everything to follow this call.  My home is now a Yacht.  The ocean is my front yard.  I feel so close to God out here.  I’m not really sure where I am, somewhere between the channel Islands and Santa Barbara.  But I feel at home.  Mainly because I feel God’s Spirit within me.  I sense Jesus is in control, and I’m just along for the ride.  I can’t rightly articulate what I am feeling right now.  I do know this; Jesus is at home in my heart.  My heart truly has become His home – and I know what it means to be totally submitted to Him as Lord!  This fellowship I have with Him is sweet.  I pray all believers will find what He has shown me out here. 

Close your eyes and pray something like this, “Father God, I know that your Spirit is here with me right now.  Lord Jesus, I know you long for fellowship with me.  As of this moment I will no longer ignore you.  I want you to speak to me.  I desire to be led by your Spirit.  I’ve been asked to consider what you would tell me if you were here.  You are here – right now – and I long to experience your presence and hear your voice.  Today begins a new phase of my walk with you.  Forgive me for ignoring you.  Help me to always be aware of your presence and open to your leading.  In Jesus name I pray, Amen.”

 

My heart, Christ’s home…

(Revelation 3:20)  ‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.

Do you truly believe that your heart is Christ’s home?  That as you abide in Him, He abides in you?  If you really believe this, it will impact the way you live.  The question you begin to ask is, ‘what would Jesus say to me right now?’  You would know that to die to yourself is to allow Jesus to make the decisions in your life.  Paul articulates it well in Gal 2:20  “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.”

Jesus desires to lead and guide you – in every decision.  He desires to communicate with you.  He wants us to truly dine with Him.  To the first century writer, that meant to have intimate Koinonia (fellowship).   As you experience His presence, He will begin to lead you!Jesus said in John 10:27 “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;” Psalms 37:23 “The steps of a man are established by the LORD, And He delights in his way.” The steps you take today – and the decisions you make set the course for the rest of your life.  The major decisions and the minor ones are important to Jesus!  Remember, He goes where you go.  You are His hands and feet and voice extended to this world.  Every decision you make impacts the Kingdom of God.  Are you being faithful in the little things?  You can drift with the tide as a a ‘Christian’ who believes in Jesus but lives as if He doesn’t exist,  or you can raise your sails and start living the life God created you to live!   And in the process get grounded in your beliefs!

Ephesians 4:14  As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming;

 

There are no guarantees in life, but there is faith.  You have a choice as to what course you will take.  I know that God will show you the narrow path that leads to abundant life in Jesus Christ, and the absolute truth you can find in His Word, the Bible.  Jesus has always desired for us to receive from Him the abundant life that only He can give.  In fact, Jesus said in John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”

What Jesus is talking about is living life to its fullest – celebrating each moment as the wind of God’s Spirit drives you on – it is adventure – it is discovery, it is experiencing the joy that God created you to live in.  It is fulfilling the great commission.  It is building the Kingdom of God.  It is living your life in a way that it matters.  It is having an eternal perspective.  This book will help you trim your sails, get your life on course, and discover the contentment of living in the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, to build His kingdom, not yours!  It is giving the helm of your life over to Jesus – it is staying the course.

There is nothing more awesome than a fine tuned sailing yacht traversing the stormy ocean, driven by the wind, able to withstand the perils of the sea.  I lived on a sailboat for two years and raced sailboats for over 8 years.  During that time, out there on the unforgiving ocean, I learned the importance of staying on course.  Your have to constantly check your compass and trim your sails in order to keep moving in the right direction.  Inevitably, the ocean currents and the swells slowly take you off course – so you trim your sails and adjust the helm to compensate.  Are you on course today?  Or is it time to adjust your sails and get yourself back on track?

Life is a lot like a sailboat race.  You do your best with the boat and the sails, but ultimately you rely on the wind to bring you home.  The word in the Bible for ‘Spirit’ is the same word for ‘wind’.  In life you do your best, but only God’s Spirit can bring you home.  Without Jesus in your life, you simply drift with the current of popular thought, going no where fast.  When you allow Jesus to take the helm of your life, and His Spirit fills your sails, you begin to sail through life on a course destined to bring you adventure, contentment and peace.   Believe me, as you begin to seek God’s guidance in your life, your life will not be boring!  It will become a celebration of God’s mighty power and plan for your life.   You will be filled the Joy in the midst of any circumstance!  For truly,  Nehemiah 8:10  Then he said to them, “Go, eat of the fat, drink of the sweet, and send portions to him who has nothing prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”

Many people today have everything they need, and yet they still do not have peace.  They may experience fleeting happiness, but they don’t have true Joy.  Their marriage is on the rocks, their children are in trouble, and the stress of their job is too much to bear.  The Bible contains the keys to turning your life around.

“…fight the good fight, keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith.”  I Timothy 1:18b & 19

God taught me what it means to keep the faith (in Jesus) and a good conscience (by doing your best with what God has given you).  If you have all faith but your life is not on the course, you will suffer shipwreck.  If you do all these great religious works and have a clear conscience, but lack faith, you will end up on the rocks.  We need both to be successful and experience the abundant life.

Remember, faith is not hope!  Faith is the evidence of what you hoped for.  Solid, empirical evidence you can stand on.  We do not hope that our Father hears our prayers – we know He does.  That is faith!

James 1:6 “But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind.”

Remember the story of Jesus and the disciples on a boat in the middle of a horrific storm?  The disciples thought they were going to die in the storm, and when they had done everything they could do to save the boat, they finally woke Jesus up.  He got up and calmed the storms.  How often do we do the same thing?  Jesus is with us – His Spirit dwells in us – yet we never ask Him for His input – we try to solve it on our own.  Listen closely; Jesus wants to be included in your life! 

He has the answers!  It’s time to start asking Him what He would tell you to do!  What would Jesus say?  You begin to allow Jesus to plan your life – and miraculous things begin to happen!

James 4:13-15  Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.”  (14)  Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.  (15)  Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.”

 

If you really believe He indwells you, you must believe He cares about everything you do!  He has a perfect plan for your life and His perspective is absolutely clearer than yours could ever be!  Let me paint a picture for you - Galileo once developed a theory of relativity based upon this example: A boat is sailing at 10 knots, and the captain is walking on the deck walking in the direction the boat is traveling at 2 knots.

I add this to this example: The boat is the world, the ocean is the universe, and the captain is a man. If another man is sitting on the deck of the boat, his perception is that the captain is walking by him at 2 knots an hour. From shore, the captain is walking 12 knots - the 10 the boat is going and the 2 he is going.

From a boat drifting in the current flowing 2 knots in the same direction of the other boat, the captain appears to be traveling 10 knots and the boat 8 knots. Which one is right? In mans thinking all are right, but from an absolute fixed point of reference all are wrong. From this absolute fixed point of reference the boat is actually traveling 12 knots (10 plus the 2 knots for the current), and the captain is actually traveling 14 knots (10 + 2 +2).

Therefore, as individuals on the boat, we need a perspective outside of us, outside our own space and time domain to give us ultimate truth - this is where Jesus desires to provide direction to you – He is our fixed point of reference!

Very often though, even when we ask Him for direction, there seems to be silence.  It could be He has already given you direction in His Word, the Bible.  The Bible is the only religious book that has been authenticated by over 20,000 manuscripts and prophecy that has been WORD for WORD fulfilled!

It is the foundation for our faith and our practice.  It is living and active.  It is our guidebook for life!

The Psalmist in Psalms 119:105 says it well; “Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path. “

Paul clarifies it in 2 Timothy 3:16 ‘All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness’

I have studied the Bible since 1968.  In the beginning I had a simple faith, and His Word was life to me!  More than that, I understand what Jesus was talking about when He said;

John 5:24  “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.”

Do you remember the first time you read the Bible and the message came alive? Do you remember when the mystery and the excitement of reading the Words of God filled your mind and you were blessed each time you picked up God’s Word?  This is when God desires us to desire Him more than anything else.  As we grow, we begin to experience His filling and guiding every day, and we begin to ask ourselves, ‘what would Jesus say?’

Many of you may be at the point in your life where the Bible isn’t as exciting as it used to be. Many may feel understanding and interpreting scripture is too difficult for you. Some may feel like just reading commentaries instead of going through the process of discovery on your own.

Studying God’s Word can be the most exciting thing you do as a believer – expect God to speak to you as open the Bible and read the Words of Life. This is just the beginning of a great adventure!

Even though I have read the Bible 100’s of times, it is still fresh and new.  Every morning, before I open the pages of the Bible, I am overwhelmed with the truth that God will speak to me through His Word.  He knew what I would need to make it through the day.  He inspired the scribes to write specifically to me.  And every morning, I find the words of life and the inspiration I need to live that day unto the Lord.   The Bible is very clear on how to live and how to access true peace and the power and presence of God.  To be a Christian is to be a follower of Christ.  To be led by Him.

Romans 8:14 “For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. “

So what else is being a Christian?   The Bible says obedience is better than sacrifice. We need to obey God’s Word.  We need to hear the voice of our Lord and follow His instruction.  In ourselves, we can not. So you must die to our self completely, and allow Jesus to take the helm of your life.  In doing this, you become God’s hands and feet extended to this world, and you start realizing He is right here, with you now, trying to give you direction.  Is Jesus Lord of your life or is He only conceptualized in your thoughts?

Now, there are many who have tried Christianity and studied the Bible and been faithful church goers, yet never truly became born again. When you are born again, your eyes are opened - there is no way you could ever leave that intimacy with the creator of the universe. Your whole life changes.  Jesus becomes LORD.  You begin to include Him in your decisions.  You begin to ask what Him what He wants you to do.  I like to compare it to color blindness. I am a little color blind, so on the test, when they flash those multicolored circles with numbers in them, I can only see the numbers half the time - the rest I just see dots. People try to explain to me and show me the numbers - but I can not see them.

This is how everyone sees the spiritual realm - as a bunch of colored dots - they are spiritually color blind. But, when you are truly born again, all of a sudden, you can see! You know without any doubt - and this is why you leave your comfort zone and share Jesus Christ so powerfully - you know the Truth, and the Truth has set you free!

Yes, there is absolute truth.  Truth that exists outside our own philosophy that is universal and timeless.  It is revealed in the Bible. Post-modern thought has swept over most of the western world. The only absolute truth the world embraces today is that there are no absolutes, and anyone who says there is becomes someone considered to be intolerant and disrupting the unity the world is moving into.

Romans 13:12 “The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.”   True Christianity is not religion, it’s reality.  It’s hearing Jesus.  It’s obeying Jesus.

You may be asking about now, ‘What about my free will?’ - this story may help:

There is a playground. The one who built the playground established some simple rules - don’t hit, don’t spit, don’t throw rocks at each other, and support the principal - if the children obey these rules, they will have a long recess and a good relationship with the teachers and the principal. If they disobey, there will be consequences.

The children obeyed the rules at first, but eventually some stopped and began to hit and spit and talk bad about the principal - so he sent a representative of him to monitor the playground and show the children how to get along and have a good long recess and a good relationship with him and the principal.