I’ve heard the word “judgement” thrown around a lot of late regarding the situation in Haiti.  I’ve heard it said by some people in prominent Bible teaching positions that it was God’s will for Haiti to be destroyed.  While I love and respect these teachers, I have a different perspective altogether.

On the third day of creation, the Lord created the dry land, and along with it the principle of seed time and harvest.  Although the principle of seed time and harvest governs the plants mentioned in Genesis 1:11-12, it is clearly a principle that governs all of the rest of creation as well.  It can be summed up with a simple statement: “Do bad stuff, and bad stuff will happen.”

The principle applies to everything.  Redeemed or unredeemed.  Saved or unsaved.  Kingdom or not.  Every human being is bound by the law of seed time and harvest.  Every nation, civilized or savage, modern or ancient, has felt the pull of this ancient wisdom.  Every major religion recognizes it in one form or another, whether we call it “karma” or “the law of attraction” or “seed time and harvest” makes no difference. It is God’s law.

To say that God willed Haiti to be destroyed flies in the face of scripture.  Consider 2 Peter 3:9 where the writer states, “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.”  In light of this statement, must we not conclude that the Lord clearly would not have exerted himself in the destruction of Haiti, since He is not willing that any should perish?

We know that the verse mentioned above from 2 Peter is taken from the context of an exhortation to be watchful for the coming day of the Lord.  I believe this is the proper context for understanding judgement versus seed time and harvest.  There certainly is a coming day when judgement will be the highest order of business on the Lord’s agenda, but until that final day I believe the Lord to be fully engaged in showering mankind with the great mercy he purchased at Calvary.

And yet, despite my high-minded exposition on the subject of mercy, Haiti lay in ruins.  Does this fact counteract my core value declaration that the Lord is always good? 

Remember seed time and harvest.  Even though God’s agenda is mercy, His laws (of natural order and creation) will not be mocked or usurped.  When a city, nation, or people sew seeds of iniquity generation upon generation, the natural law of God will always deliver destruction.  It can be seen in the collapse of every major empire in the history of the World.  It was demonstrated in New Orleans in 2005.  It was demonstrated again in Haiti.

Perhaps this is the “groaning” mentioned in Romans chapter 8?  Perhaps the creation itself and its weather patterns and the movements of the rocks of the Earth and the yielding of the fields are all really related to the righteousness of the people?

Is that insensitive to say?  That unrighteousness could result in calamity?  That God, although He did not actively initiate the calamity, would not step in to stop it?  Let us consult the scriptures and draw a history on the topic. 

No.  I do not believe God judged Haiti.  I believe Haiti judged itself by planting seeds of Vodoo and witchcraft and idolotry and nominal Christianity.  Let it be a lesson to the rest of us.

I’m not saying I’ve got it all figured out.  I’m just saying that I don’t see this type of overt action in the person of Christ until the last day.  That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it.

The critical question for our generation–and for every generation–is this:  If you could have heaven, with no sickness, and with all the friends that you ever had on earth, and all the food you ever liked, and all the leisure activities you ever enjoyed, and all the natural beauties you ever saw, all the physical pleasures you ever tasted, and no human conflict or any natural disasters, could you be satisfied with heaven, if Christ was not there?

I’m living for the reality of a generation rising that will forsake all else for the sake of knowing Him.  I’m exceedingly zealous toward that end.  All over the earth people are arising who are saying, “Nothing is right, nothing is worthy, nothing is entertaining enough for me without the person of Christ.”

Is the church to be relegated to the buildings in which we gather and the ceremonies that we perform, or will we once again connect to Jesus and begin to transform the world from the inside out.  I believe it’s already happening.

As the refugees passed the checkpoint, some of the members of the fellowship were standing by.  These folks would remove the baggage from the refugees, usher them into the church, and help them to eat and rest.  After a suitable period of time, the refugees would re-emerge from the church and continue on their way in good health.

Clearly, the dream highlights a restorational mission for our church.  We are seeing an increase in this ministry through the various recovery ministries, jail ministries, and pastoral ministries represented in our congregation.  Maybe this will serve as confirmation for those good folks involved.  Keep it up.

I recently had a prophetic experience where the Lord showed me a hand gun.  It was a revolver with a spinning cylinder style chamber.  On the barrell was written the word “ministry.”  I watched as the Lord began to take people and form them into bullets and place them in the chamber of the revolver.

After the people had been formed into bullets and placed into the chamber, the Lord would spin the cylinder Russian-roulette style and point the gun into a group of people.  When He pulled the trigger, the “bullets” would go forth and cause a revival to break out.

I believe that this vision speaks of ministry teams of several people.  I believe that the Lord is saying that the days of the personality cult in ministry are over.  The season of men building ministries in their own name has drawn to a close.  It is my belief that the next generation of revivalists will not be well-known preachers with huge platforms, but rather teams of apostolic warriors who are submitted to the cause of Christ.  They will be nameless and faceless and rather than ambitiously building a ministry will be committed to advancing the Kingdom.

I believe that the Lord will utilize different team members under different circumstances to effect powerful ministry.  This is what the spinning of the cylinder symbolizes.  I also received interpretations for the following components of the gun itself:

The sights: Control the direction of the bullets.  This is the role of prophetic counsel to the apostolic teams of ministers who will take part in the next wave of revival.

The cylinder: This is the place of prayer.  It is the sole abode, qualification, equipping center, and desire of those who will be endued with power from on high. It is the chamber in which the combustion will take place that propels people to their prophetic destiny.

The gun powder: This is intimacy with the Lord.  This is the combustible force that will fill the place of prayer (the chamber) and propel the projectile (the spirit-filled minister) down the barrel and into the heart of the people where they will be a catalyst for revival on an epic scale.

For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. (Matthew 16:25)

We’ve all heard the stories of the wasted life.  We’ve heard about John the Baptist who lived in the wilderness eating locusts and wild honey proclaiming one message his entire life.  We’ve heard about Anna who was widowed in her youth and spent her entire adult life in the temple praying and fasting.  We’ve heard about Mary wasting a life’s savings worth of costly perfume on the feet of Jesus. What motivated these people to behave in this way?  What could have possibly been the cause of such a tragic waste of life, potential, and financial provision?  Paul gives us a clue:

More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, (Philippians 3:8)

I used to think that I wanted some things out of this life.  If you can believe it, when I was in the world, I actually had a poster with my “goals” on the wall, all of which were material possessions and status symbols.  I wanted the big house.  I wanted the fancy car.  I wanted the yacht.  I wanted it all. Then I got saved and my goals changed.  I wanted a big ministry, a large church, a fancy (but not obscene) car, and an international reputation as a good speaker.

By contrast, I’m now trying to figure out how to live on as little money as possible so that I can quit working and devote all of my time to the prayer room.  I’m praying and believing for the day that I will be able to spend 8 or 10 hours a day in the prayer room seeking the face of Jesus.  What a waste!  All of that potential!  I was a smart kid.  I could have been a lawyer or a doctor or a congressman, and now I want to spend the rest of my life in an obscure prayer room?  What happened?

I was on my way to attaining those goals.  I was planning my ascent through the ranks of the church and working my way towards credibility in the ministry when I made a mistake.  I thought that if I prayed and fasted I would be able to get a greater anointing for speaking and impress more people.  Instead, when I prayed and fasted, I met God face to face.  I entered into a season of prayer and fasting as a means to an end.  I discovered in the process that intimacy with God is the end.

I discovered what it meant to be thrilled, enthralled, emblazoned, and left undone.  I saw things happening in the third heaven, and discovered my prophetic calling.  I felt, really felt, the love of the Lord and the perfect peace that came in His presence.  I’m ruined.  I’m undone.  I have no other purpose for the rest of my life but to live in the glory realm in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

But, won’t you miss the opportunity to have an international ministry and preach to thousands of people?

Eh…not really.