Reclaim the Culture the Devil’s Stolen

“And of the children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do” (1 Chronicles 12:32).

The Laodicean church was ignorant of the times in which they lived, but God is raising up an Issachar generation that understands the times in which they live and have been given wisdom and courage to do what is needed, what is right.

A pilot knows how important it is to obey laws that govern flight. Every time a pilot flies, he must understand the four laws of aerodynamics—lift, weight, thrust, and drag—in order to safely and predictably fly the aircraft. If a pilot is off on his timing, people could potentially die. Pulling up off the runway too soon as well as waiting too long, could cause a crash. These forces are established and fixed, and it is vitally important to respect them. God designed these laws to be a blessing and not a curse. Any good pilot has many factors to consider as he navigates his aircraft. Weather can also have a serious impact on how his aircraft will operate within these fixed laws.

One other very important factor to consider is a pilot’s responsibility to establish personal minimums, which is a checklist that a pilot uses to assess everything from the amount of sleep and stress he’s incurred to the weather, the condition of the aircraft, and the environment. This simple list can save lives!

So many pilots and their passengers have been killed because the personal minimums were ignored. Weather that is fine for one pilot to fly in, such as clouds and precipitation, may kill another pilot. The fixed laws of aerodynamics did not change, but the time and season of the flight did. The environment and other signs were not taken seriously.

In the same way, there are ominous signs all around us here in America, which for years have been largely ignored. This is a very serious hour in our country. In conjunction with that, we must understand that seasons dictate what you can and cannot do. As in all things in life, timing is critical. Understanding timing within the sphere of a season is essential for those who want be successful and avoid disaster.

Man does not control the seasons or the times allotted within those seasons, but we can—and must—determine how we will live our lives in those times and seasons. There is a conversation between Gandalf and Frodo in Tolkien´s book The Lord of the Rings, which illustrates my point:

“I wish it need not have happened in my time,” said Frodo.

“So do I,” said Gandalf, “and so do all who live to see such a time. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”

This is the ultimate truth. When we understand the nature of the time we live in, we must then decide how we live our lives in those times. We understand that there are certain divine laws that govern those times, and we adapt our lives to the laws and will of God. As we become more aware of the true reality of the times we live in, we can learn how to ride the momentum that they create.

Faith is the master key to living in these times. Without faith you cannot please God. Faith enables you to rise above the pressures of life and catch the jet stream of the Spirit of God. Faith will change the times and seasons of your life and put you in the realm of what God has destined for you.

“And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding” (Daniel 2:21 NKJV). God controls the shifts in times and seasons, and He also gives wisdom and knowledge to His people so they will be able to serve Him in those times of opportunity.

Purpose

The late Myles Munroe, who was well known for his books on purpose and potential, once said, “The greatest tragedy in life is not death, but a life without a purpose. When purpose is not known, abuse is inevitable.” Understanding your purpose in life is one of the most important—and pivotal—things you will ever discover. Yet I must point out that purpose is discovered—not decided! By that I mean that your heavenly Father designed a life for you that is beyond comprehension, and the beauty of that purpose exceeds your wildest dream.

Those who don’t understand the goodness and love of God may think that it is pretty one-sided and unfair for someone else to decide their lives. I’ve known so many parents who try to decide their children’s purpose in life, and it was a miserable failure. Yet once you understand the nature, character, power, and glory of God, that will all change. Everything God designed was created to reveal His glory. But when that purpose is not understood, abuse will occur.

The best illustration I can think of happened when I was about five years old. My dad had bought a new pocketknife, something he carried with him until his dying day. I remember I wanted to see his new knife and do some whittling with it. I did the right thing and asked his permission to use the knife. He told me I could but to be very careful. He showed me how to close the pocketknife carefully so I would not cut myself. I took the knife, found a piece of wood and started whittling. After a while, I got bored and started looking for something else to do.

There was a small pile of lumber on the side of the house. I grabbed a couple of small two-by-fours and found a couple of nails and proceeded to try to nail the two of them together using the side of my dad’s new pocketknife as a hammer. After the nail got started, I began to hit it harder at which point the knife’s woodgrain–like handles broke off. I thought that I better stop and decided to take the knife back to my dad. When I got back home, I said, “Daddy, did you know your knife was broken?” My dad told me years later that he could not bring himself to whip me because of the way I came right back to him with such an innocent look on my face. Because I did not understand the purpose of that knife, I abused it. There is another tool created for the purpose of putting nails into wood, namely a hammer. Not understanding or disregarding purpose has disastrous results—with knives and with lives.

Anything you possess whose purpose you do not understand will cause you to abuse it whether it is a tool, a motorized vehicle, a weapon, or your life. When it comes to the subject of purpose, the most important thing is for you to understand the purpose for your life, the reason you were created.

Not one human being who has ever lived was created for any other reason than to glorify God. It is the highest honor and purpose of all creation, both in time and eternity, to reveal the glory of God. However, as we fulfill that purpose, we cannot forget that we have an adversary. Satan also has but one purpose which he manifests in three ways: he steals, kills, and destroys. Satan’s greatest weapon in achieving that purpose is the power of deception.

The world around us is filled with people who manifest such destructive behavior as a result of satan’s deception. Deception is simply causing someone to believe something that is not true as though it were true. A salesman can deceive you into believing that you are getting the best deal there is when, in reality, you are getting ripped off. Many people have been ripped off by false advertising claims on TV.

In these cases, all you lose is your money, but deception in your life is much more serious. You run the risk of missing out on God’s great plan for your life and setting yourself on a path of destruction. In the end, you just might jeopardize your eternal destiny.

In matters of life, timing is ever so important. I was once scheduled to fly out from Denver International Airport on an important trip, but because of unexpected delays on the interstate, I missed my flight. I didn’t miss it by much, less than 20 minutes; but, the fact is, I missed it. In this case, you can always book another flight, but in the matter of eternity, all hope is gone.

I believe America has lost sight of both its purpose and signs of the times. In fact, our nation has been given multiple warning signs that have gone completely unnoticed or largely ignored. The biggest and most significant was September 11, 2001. Never before had we experienced an attack on American soil like what happened on that tragic day. We all sat watching replays of airplanes flying into buildings, trying to wrap our minds around what had happened. It was surreal at times.

It wasn’t until I read The Harbinger by Jonathan Cahn and watched the DVDs of The Isaiah 9:10 Judgment that I recognized that God was dealing with us as a nation, yet we do not have a clue about the seriousness we face.

Rabbi Cahn was given insight by the Lord into a little-known scripture in Isaiah that ultimately became the basis for the teaching he has outlined on the nine harbingers. These were warnings God gave Israel, alerting them to turn back to Him: “The bricks are fallen down, but we will build with hewn stones: the sycamores are cut down, but we will change them into cedars” (Isaiah 9:10 NKJV).

Some people think of these warnings as the judgment of God. Actually, it is the mercy and grace of God trying to bring a nation that has drifted so far back into right relationship. God wanted to help them avoid judgment. Israel was a nation that God Himself birthed and formed.

“But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel: ‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine.’” (Isaiah 43:1 NKJV).

Through His covenants with Israel, they became a strong nation like no other, one which God Himself provided for and protected. He made them the head and not the tail and blessed them above all other nations. This blessing, however, came in the form of a covenant, which means there are two sides to the agreement. God basically told them, “If you do this, then I will do this.” God’s covenants always come with conditions. We do the same millions of times per day in America in the form of contracts, but a covenant is a much stronger tie.

As we move into the New Testament, particularly Matthew 16, we find Jesus addressing the religious leaders of the day. These leaders were classic examples of men who strayed from their purpose. The Pharisees and Sadducees should have been the first people to recognize Jesus as the Messiah; but, instead of receiving Him, they outrightly rejected Him. Even worse, when given a choice by Pilate to set one man free, Jewish leaders chose a murderer named Barabbas over Jesus, the Savior God had sent to them.

Matthew’s account of the gospel not only points to the past to explain what happened in Jesus’ day, but it also points to the future to answer why our country is in such trouble today. More than one person has asked me, “Why has God allowed our country to get in such a mess?” Here’s the real truth of the matter: God did not. We, the people, did.

Let me explain it this way. When you drive by a beautiful home with a nicely manicured lawn, colorful flowers, and stately trees, you know that didn’t happen by accident. Someone conscientiously cared for the property and saw to its upkeep. On the other hand, when you drive by a rundown property with the house paint peeling and a charred lawn overrun with weeds, you know that the owner did not take care of the house or lawn. Is the devil to blame for the rundown property? No. The ones who live on the land are responsible to care for it.

Christians can be really good at blaming the devil for anything and everything. It is so much easier to “fix the blame” instead of taking the time, effort, and discipline to fix the problem. In our country it is so much easier to blame the Democrats, the Republicans, the conservatives, or the liberals, and the list goes on.

The effects of the teaching and reasoning of the religious leaders in the New Testament were described like leaven. They had forgotten all the miraculous things the Lord had done for them. In Matthew 16:13, Jesus asks, “Who are people saying that I am?” and it is amazing the number of answers He received. The disciples answered with names like John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, or another one of the prophets.

God, being all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-present, loves His creation so much that He created each of us with a specific purpose that is a tailor-made plan for each of our lives.