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Articles 2018-2020
Last Summer, while some regional elders were planning for some meetings, one of the men, Joe Skoda saw something in the Spirit – a huge storm and that we were in its eye. He also saw people being drawn to the light from the midst of the storm.
Here is the gist of what he prophesied:
“For My Church is in the eye of the storm, in the midst there is a calm. Though darkness is swirling all around, the eye of the storm will continue to expand. My glory will be poured out upon My Church, darkness is fading, the true light is in the world. I will make a distinction in my Church like I did in the land of Goshen. As the eye expands many will be brought into the Church. I will make a distinction between what is light and darkness. For My light is already shining and the darkness is fading away.”
It seems clear that since her beginning, the Church has existed in a storm. But at the same time, God sees His people as dwelling in its eye. Even as the Books of Daniel and Revelation picture the nations as a turbulent sea from which beasts arise, simultaneously, God’s throne-room is marked by a sea of glass (Revelation 4:6). Here is a picture of peace. While the world may seem chaotic to many, we have discovered the Lord to be our refuge and strength. We have recognized His sovereign rule in the midst of His enemies. And we are receiving His kingdom from heaven which cannot be shaken (Hebrews 12:28). And while the storm rages, the place where His light dwells is expanding in the midst of the darkness. Indeed, darkness has no future – it must ultimately come to nothing. As God’s word says:
…the path (Hebrew, ORACH – well-trodden road, caravan) of the righteous is like the light of dawn, that shines brighter and brighter until the full day.
The full day is coming. And we are not alone on the road we are travelling. Many have gone before us (it is well-trodden) and many are journeying with us today (it is a caravan). But be assured of this: history culminates in a fullness, not of night but of daytime. What is coming is not the night of the devil but the day of the Lord. Of course, that day will be darkness and anguish to those who have rejected Christ while at the same time a day of overwhelming glory to those who have loved His appearing. In our own day, when we look around us, sometimes the spiritual darkness seems to be overwhelming. And it does not take exceedingly spiritual prophets to describe in detail and bring to our attention the seemingly unstoppable darkness among the nations. It is actually pretty apparent. But we must not judge by what our eyes see nor make decisions by what our ears hear (Isaiah 11:3). We must turn and prophesy the coming full day. And we must build in God’s house according to what He is revealing from heaven concerning His abiding and increasing glory among His people. The eye is expanding. And we must determine in our own hearts if we believe that in the end, the storm will overwhelm the eye or the other way around. Or to change the illustration – which of the two seas will fill the earth, the beast-filled turbulent one or the sea of glass?
For God’s purpose to prevail, it seems that He intends to more clearly make the distinction between the eye-dwellers and the storm-tossed. In Moses’ day, God struck Egypt with a darkness so intense that it seemed they could touch it. They could not go anywhere; they just sat or lay where they were. But at the same time, His people had plentiful light in their dwellings (Exodus 10:21 - 23).
In our own day, God has invited “the Egyptians of this world” to leave the darkness and join those living in the light. The only spiritual illumination on the planet is found where “the Sunrise from on high” (Luke 1:78) has taken up His dwelling. If Christ’s first coming was the Sunrise, the Dayspring, the dawning of the full day, then Church history even with all the stumbles and failures of His people, illustrates for us the growing eye of the storm. These are the days of Heaven’s gracious invitation. “Come to the light. Come and I will open your eyes to see what you have not known, to hear what you have not previously heard.” Indeed, all of the New Testament is an invitation for the whole earth to come to a feast (Matthew 22:1 - 14, Luke 14:16 - 24). It is there on Mount Zion, while His people are feasting that God commences His plan to remove the veil of death over the nations (Isaiah 25:6 - 8). Of course, many of us have had many spirited debates on the eschatological details of how all this will culminate. But I think we can all agree that it will require Christ’s physical return to bring about death’s final annihilation. At the same time though, we must also see that the feast has already begun. The countdown to death’s eradication is already under way.
Let us enjoy the feast prepared for us in the presence of our enemies. As circumstances allow, let us gather to the table of the Lord and partake of Christ the Bread of heaven while we receive the wine of His shed blood by which we are forgiven. And let us drink deeply of the well of life that never runs dry. Even in this present season of the pandemic, let us keep connecting through the use of technology.
Later that afternoon, after our meeting-planning session, Joe, Owen Carey, and I were spending some time in fellowship at my Mom’s place (she is 97 years old and is very limited in hearing and eyesight). Also present were my brother Rich and his wife Sharon who are Mom’s care-givers. Every once in a while, we would turn to Mom and specifically include her in on something we were talking about, and she would smile and make a remark. But as our conversation in the group would then take a little different direction, she was not able to keep up. But she would smile, and I think she was just happy that we were all there and that she could be a part of what was happening.
Suddenly from seemingly out of nowhere, Mom spoke up in a distinctly firm voice. “A storm is coming!” We all stopped talking and immediately knew the Lord was speaking to us. And we all commented on what Joe had seen earlier. But as we asked her about what she had said, she didn’t seem to have much more to say about it.
So, we all continued our conversation. A few minutes went by and then just as clearly as before she said, “Sharpen the point.” “Mom,” I asked, “the point of what?” “Sharpen the point of your sword.” Again, I immediately sensed that she had spoken prophetically. This time I had goosebumps. But as we inquired, she again did not have more insight to offer.
So, we all went back to our discussion. Again, only a few minutes had passed when she said quite firmly, “I sense fear. Get rid of all fear. The enemy wants us to fear.”
All of us were convinced that the Lord was speaking to us. We knew something was coming but we didn’t know what. And we also knew that we were not to let fear have any place in us.
In light of what transpired that June day, and also in light of where we are today in the midst of a world pandemic, here are a few thoughts to consider. This present season is just one part of the greater storm we have been experiencing all our lives. And through it all, God has reigned supreme. None of this is taking Him by surprise. To the degree that we are shaken in our love for Him, in our desire to spend time with Him, in our obedience, or in our love for the brethren, He is revealing flaws in our spiritual foundation. If we have seen some fractures there, let us repent and turn wholly in our hearts to Him.
Clearly, God is at work among the nations. As I was praying recently, I was impressed with the following verse.
for when the earth experiences Your judgments the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.
I believe that we should pray to this end – that as many experience panic and fear (the devil’s work in the midst of God’s sovereign rule is to sow a destructive anxiety), they would see the inadequacies of men and governments and cry out to know the living God.
And in the midst of all this, we must sharpen our swords; we must seek a greater precision in the way we handle God’s word. As we spend time with Him, and humble ourselves before Him, He will fine-tune our spiritual ears to more accurately hear what is on His heart.
Donald Rumble – April 2020
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