Three weeks ago on a Friday night, Sheldon David and I walked the streets of Portland again. We had just come from one of our regular prayer and worship meetings at his place, where it is often just the two of us. We usually intercede for people that the Lord lays on our hearts—whether it is a person, a city, the nation or the world. We also deal with a considerable amount of spiritual warfare, breaking bonds off people's hearts and minds, even as we walk. We pray that people's eyes and ears would be opened and their hearts would be softened and receptive to the truth. In these gatherings, God often speaks to us (mostly to Sheldon), but I enjoy getting to eavesdrop. And God doesn't mind because we're friends. Often God's words have been of a personal nature, but this time God was sharing more of a national and global perspective. The world is about to experience a mighty move of God. He mentioned cities, states and nations where His Spirit will have an incredible impact. There will be both blessings and judgments in the days ahead, and much of that will start within the next three years.
There will be a shaking in the earth and on it. We have already seen the financial markets shaken. Plus, we've seen the political, economic and governmental arenas shaken. The automakers have been shaking; some moving up and others going down. Many people are living in fear and desperation caused by many things including strong winds, blizzards, flooding and the shaking upon the earth.
Where pride is exalted or evil celebrated, it will be dealt with by the hand of God. The Word of the Lord tells us that God often uses nature to deal out his disapproval (judgment). Men's hearts will melt with fear, while others will rejoice in the days ahead. God is not through shaking the world; there is much to be corrected by the disciplines of the Lord, all for our good. Above all, the Lord will be feared and honored once again.
Haiti was just another example, along with Chile, New Zealand and Japan. The same go for all the damaged areas of flooding, hurricanes and tornadoes around the world and the United States. Out of the ruins will come forth his glory and people's salvation. So it will be with California. It is God's desire to bless that state abundantly, but it will come through discipline. The wild-fires have been a form of judgment and warning signs. There will be more suffering, but also an incredible blessing from a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit (a spiritual fire). This even happened back when Jesus died on the cross. There were earthquakes that caused the Temple Veil to tear in half and the graves to open. And in less than two months after his death, there was a mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit with tongues of fire. In fact, God intends to bless California in a similar way. We will even see dramatic changes in Hollywood, also the gay community in San Francisco.
Jesus said, that many people were unable to read the signs of the times, so it is today. Can you imagine a quake hitting a major city in America, like the one in Haiti or Chile. God help us! I pray nothing that catastrophic will ever happen. Hopefully, the shaking will be more spiritual than physical. More people need to get on there knees and cry out to God and pray. One night the Lord said, what if it took 10, 20 or 30 million lives before people would truly humbles themselves and pray. I hope the church and the world are not the stubborn. However, God will not abandon us, but He is God and will do what ever it takes to see that His will is fulfilled. He will also prove Himself faithful to His promises of restoration. It is for His glory, and not for man's. We need to wake up and be ready.
So, as we were walking the city streets of Portland interceding, there were a lot of people doing "their thing," not realizing that this world is about to change and go a different direction—ultimately toward God. I commented to Sheldon that it was hard to imagine how this city and the people in it would look like a hundred years from now; not to mention the rest of the world. So much has changed in just the past 100 years, including building structures, technology, transportation and fashion trends. But, to imagine what people's heart would be like is even harder. Consider that a building of concrete and steel can be brought down in a matter of minutes, being rebuilt to higher heights in a year or two. But the stubbornness of mankind has been more difficult to change. However that will soon change, but will definitely take a move of God's supernatural powers.
This shaking and the moving of God's Spirit will get people's attentions. People will cry out to God, and as a result their hearts will change. There will also be a new sound of praise and worship coming from the most unlikely people and places. This is also hard to imagine because we will have not seen or heard anything like it before. There will be "Hot Spots" where the fire of the Holy Spirit will burn into the hearts of communities. There will be overturn in men's minds, but there will also be a greater distinction between black and white—good and evil, right and wrong. God is already starting to set the table back upright in the hearts and minds of others.
"Once more in a little while, I am going to shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. I will shake all the nations; and they will come with all the wealth of the nations, and I fill this house with my glory... I will overthrow the thrones of kingdoms and destroy the power of the kingdoms of the nations." (Haggai 2: 6,7 and 22). The earth will shake until all that remains is that which can't be shaken. (Heb. 12:26). That place is a secure relationship only found in Jesus Christ.
I can't wait to see more people truly in love the Jesus, just like in the early church but only on a larger scale. I can't wait to see the miraculous on national TV and the Internet, proving once and for all that there is a God and His name is Jesus. Can you imagine seeing people set free from their additions, their wheelchairs, and their infirmities? But most of all, I can't wait to see people set free from their sins that have kept them bound in a life of selfishness, guilt and shame, now completely restored to the Heavenly Father. A wave of young people will be leading the way, leaving their rebellious nature and their idols behind as to follow the one and only superstar, Jesus Christ. Can you imagine?
"God is our shelter and strength, always ready to help in time of trouble. So we will not be afraid, even if the earth is shaken and the mountains fall into the ocean depths; even if the seas roar and rage, and the hills are shaken by the violence."
"There is a river [Jesus] that brings joy to the city of God, to the sacred house of the Most High. God is in that city and it will never be destroyed; at early dawn he will come to its aid. Nations are terrified, kingdoms are shaken; God thunders, and the earth dissolves." (Psalms 46:1-6, brackets mine)
