As in the Days of Noah

“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. 37 But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 38 For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.
(Matthew 24:36-39)

Prophesying of the end of the age, Jesus gives a prophetic picture of the last days before His coming. He compares the last days as "as the days of Noah." Even though we may not know the exact time of His coming we can look for the signs of His return. He tells us that before the flood, people were carrying on like normal. They were still conducting their lives and affairs without a single concern of a flood coming up until the very end. They were still going to parties, getting married, going to those bars to drink, and enjoying all this world has to offer. What this tells me is that the end will come on a day that seems like any other day. Yes, there will be signs on the highway but people will keep driving to their intended destination. Just like Caltrans, God will be putting out the cones on the highway and putting up warning signs way ahead of the actual danger area but many will not heed the warnings.

Every year people that ignore these signs, end up on the nightly news report, being swept away in flood waters after they decided to go around what was meant to protect them. Some drown or lose their cars because they thought the situation was less critical than it actually was. Let's not forget the people who get warned to leave their homes in oncoming fires, hurricanes and tornados. We have developed a system to protect human lives and reduce casualties but people can be deceived about their ability to ride out the storm. Hurricane Katrina was a prime example of that. Many people perished unnecessarily because they did not correctly assess the seriousness of the situation.

My friends when Jesus returns we won't be able to ride out the storm. We will either be ready or we will become a casualty. If a fireman or rescue worker comes to your house, to tell you that you are in the way of impending disaster, you better listen. Don't gamble your life against the elements. Don't think you are exempted from the coming danger. As in the days of Noah, the bible tells us that God, "did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly" 2 Peter 2:4-5 Think about this, only eight people survived the floods that Noah prophesied about. Only eight gave heed to the signs and warnings. The people who were carrying on their normal lives must have thought Noah was a mad man working on that enormous ship. It must have took years of watching him build it with all the time to mock him. God's word says Noah was preaching righteousness to a world who had fallen into great wickedness. He wasn't placating them or making less of the situation. He wasn't telling them that they would be ok when clearly they were going to get swept away. He must have tried to compel them day and night to enter that ark until the very hand of God closed the doors to the ark.

Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6 And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. Genesis 6:5-6

The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. 12 So God looked upon the earth, and indeed it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. And God said to Noah, “The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth. Genesis 6:11-13

What was this great wickedness that would make God destroy the ancient world?

If you read the scripture carefully the reason God destroyed the earth is mentioned twice here in Genesis. VIOLENCE! The bible says their thoughts and hearts were wicked continually. The very motivation of their hearts was evil. Everything had gotten corrupted. In the book of Enoch which is not a book in the bible says that people had resorted to cannibalism, witchcraft, and drugs. Violence had taken over and the sin of Cain had infected mankind. Fast forward to today. Just in the last few weeks there has been one mass shooting a week. In 2012 a Florida man stands naked eating a homeless man's face. In another incident, a college student in Maryland ate another fellow student that shared the dorm with him. Also in that same year I believe a neighbor ate someone else's dog in a drug induced act of animal cruelty. These acts are beyond human comprehension. In 2011 in a video called "Church on Life Support" I prophesied of an increase of violence unless we turned back to God as a nation. I warned of persecution. We have seen the increase of both since I prophesied this. Also, after the release of this word we also saw the Boston Marathon Bombings, the 12 murders in the theater, in Aurora, Colorado, and the shootings of 37 people at Sandy Hook Elementary. Schools and college campuses have become a hazardous place to be as they have become a common place of violence.

Even in the face of these signs we have not made a concerted effort to turn back to God. We have debated over gun control, enforced stricter laws and pointed fingers at one another. None of these things will stop the evil in the heart's of men. More than just seeing these things as symptoms of the increase of violence TV, video games, and media; we need to see these things as signs of His coming. The persecution and murder of thousands of Christians all over the world like Syria, Egypt and other Middle Eastern countries are also signs that we are nearing the end of age. "For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened." (Matthew 24:21-22)

Dear reader, there is a reason Hollywood is going to release a movie about the time of Noah. God inspired them. There is a reason that you feel uneasy every time you wake up. There is a reason there is a show called Doomsday Preppers. Everyone all around us feels it. We can try to ignore the obvious but the signs keep appearing on the road we are on, they say, "Caution up ahead!" Some of you know that you should be saying something but you remain silent as people race by you on their way to their destruction. How can you say you love people when you are allowing them to stay on the path that leads to death? Don't you know that we are called to be fire fighters and emergency personnel so we can get people out of harm's way? How will they know unless someone tells them? Will you wait until the flames lick their house and their death is certain? A way of escape was already made for them why not share it with them. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life! He made a way out through His son. It is time to get out there and say something because LOVE WARNS!

Victory In Adversity

There was a time when I was experiencing true hardship and somehow I felt like I was less than a Christian in my adversity. I felt shame that I was going through so much tribulation and trials. I felt as if God was punishing me or if I had done something wrong. These thoughts are all lies from the enemy! Depending on your view of God the wilderness can be a place of victory or misery. One day a brother came up to me inspired by God and said, "The wilderness is where God performed the most miracles!" Indeed. The wilderness doesn't have to a place of defeat. It is a place of training for reigning. Even though Jesus was tempted in his wilderness He left that place in power. In times of resistance that's when we build spiritual muscle. The key is what we do with our tongue. Do we declare what is written or do we complain. Do we stand in faith or wallow in self pity and doubt.

Satan, always tries to short circuit the process of dying to self. He offered Jesus everything before he went to that cross. It won't be any different for us. The greatest temptation of mankind is to take the easy way out. In the garden, Satan got Eve to question God's word. In the wilderness Satan tempted Jesus to doubt His own identity. "If you are the Son of God..." However, if you know who you are, there isn't anything the devil can offer you that don't already have. The devil always tries to deceive us into forfeiting what we already have. Yes, read that statement again. The devil always tries to deceive you into forfeiting what you already have by offering you a counterfeit. What are the counterfeits you may ask?

  The counterfeit of peace is self assurance. Self assurance is trusting in your own ability, strength and finances.
  The counterfeit for love is lust. Lust drives people to take from others. It only wants to satisfy itself at someone's else's expense. Love wants to give and sacrifice to meet a need.
  The counterfeit for faith is fear. Fear is relied upon like an old friend because it has shown people how to act out of instinct and desperation instead of God led revelation. We walk by faith and not by what we see in the natural.
  The counterfeit for righteousness is religion. Men trying to obtain God's favor and love by doing good works. However, righteousness is the position that every son and daughter have before their Father. It is our simple child-like trust in Jesus' sacrifice that causes us to come boldly before the throne of grace. If we could be good enough outside of the blood sacrifice Jesus' death would have been pointless.
  The counterfeit for joy is happiness. Happiness is based on circumstances and joy is a fruit of God's spirit that does not waver in the storms of life. It wells up from deep within our spirit when we praise God.

Our surrendered life is in good hands we don't have to take the devil's counterfeit offers. I want to encourage you that just because you are going through things doesn't change who you are in Christ. Jesus dying on the cross did not make Him less of a Son of God and it doesn't make you less than a child of God. The cross positioned Jesus for the greatest victory known to mankind. If we can understand that then we will never despair again when we are standing there facing our cross or mountain. We are given an opportunity everyday to forgive those who have hurt us while we hang on our cross of tribulation and circumstances. Raise up your hands and thank God that the devil only pushes us into the will of God.

Look at the life of Joseph. He was pushed into a pit, sold into slavery, thrown into prison and raised up a prince in a palace. Paul was taken from place to place appealing his innocence while persecuted, thrown into prison and inspired to write the churches the revelations he received and because of that we have our New Testament. Their cross became their victory and ours! Our tendency is to feel like God is mad at us or that he loves us less when we are going through things. Our circumstances cannot separate us from the love of God and neither do they define who we are. We are not defined by our past, our present, our background, or even an event. We are only defined by who God made us to be. We were made to be over comers! God uses what has been intended to be our defeat, makes it our victory and defining moment. In the fires of adversity he refashions us for His purposes. Then stands back in admiration and says, "It is good!" I will further illustrate this by the following story of the Three Trees.

The following story was e-mailed to me. I read it to the women in Chino Women's Prison on September 14, 2013. They were wrecked when I was through reading it. Enjoy!

The Three Trees

Once there were three trees on a hill in the woods. They were discussing their hopes and dreams when the first tree said, 'Someday I hope to be a treasure chest. I could be filled with gold, silver and precious gems. I could be decorated with intricate carving and everyone would see the beauty.'

Then the second tree said, 'Someday I will be a mighty ship. I will take Kings and queens across the waters and sail to the corners of the world. Everyone will feel safe in me because of the strength of my hull.'

Finally the third tree said, 'I want to grow to be the tallest and straightest Tree in the forest. People will see me on top of the hill and look up to my branches, and think of the heavens and God and how close to them I am reaching. I will be the greatest tree of all time and people will always remember me.'

After a few years of praying that their dreams would come true, a group of woodsmen came upon the trees. When one came to the first tree he said, 'This looks like a strong tree, I think I should be able to sell the wood to a carpenter, 'and he began cutting it down. The tree was happy, because he knew that the carpenter would make him into a treasure chest.

At the second tree the woodsman said, 'This looks like a strong tree. I should be able to sell it to the shipyard.' The second tree was happy Because he knew he was on his way to becoming a mighty ship.

When the woodsmen came upon the third tree, the tree was frightened because he knew that if they cut him down his dreams would not come true. One of the woodsmen said, 'I don't need anything special from my tree, I'll take this one,' and he cut it down.

When the first tree arrived at the carpenters, he was made into a feed box for animals. He was then placed in a barn and filled with hay. This was not at all what he had prayed for.

The second tree was cut and made into a small fishing boat. His dreams of being a mighty ship and carrying kings had come to an end.

The third tree was cut into large pieces, and left alone in the dark.

The years went by, and the trees forgot about their dreams.

Then one day, a man and woman came to the barn. She gave birth and they placed the baby in the hay in the feed box that was made from the first tree. The man wished that he could have made a crib for the baby, but this manger would have to do. The tree could feel the importance of this event and knew that it had held the greatest treasure of all time.

Years later, a group of men got in the fishing boat made from the second tree. One of them was tired and went to sleep. While they were out on the water, a great storm arose and the tree didn't think it was strong enough to keep the men safe. The men woke the sleeping man, and He stood and said 'Peace' and the storm stopped. At this time, the tree knew that it had carried the King of Kings in its boat.

Finally, someone came and got the third tree. It was carried through the streets as the people mocked the man who was carrying it. When they came to a stop, the man was nailed to the tree and raised in the air to die at the top of a hill. When Sunday came, the tree came to realize that it was strong enough to stand at the top of the hill and be as close to God as was possible, because Jesus had been crucified on it.

The moral of this story is that when things don't seem to be going your way, always know that God has a plan for you. If you place your trust in Him, God will give you great gifts.

Each of the trees got what they wanted, just not in the way they had imagined.

We don't always know what God's plan are for us. We just know that His Ways are not our ways, but His ways are always best.

Please keep this moving... Pass it on, so God may inspire more people on The Way.

May your day be blessed. And until we meet again, may God cradle you in the palm of His hand.

If you find this article helpful or would like to leave a comment or visit our website:
Jaziz Gutierrez
http://www.loverevivalrevolution.com
Facebook: School Of Impartation and Living

Surviving Trials 101

"Do you feel that God abandoned you?" Are you angry at what you feel is injustice? Do you feel like life dealt you a bad hand? Are you struggling in your walk with God?

If this is the case then I am going to share with you ten keys to surviving a trial.  First, you must know that God is on your side!  Jesus came to give you life and life more abundantly. The devil comes to steal, kill, and destroy. John 10:10 Secondly, you must know that whatever problem life has dealt us we are never without a choice. We are made in such a way that we can survive most anything and turn any situation around if we would only have faith. Our past or present circumstances do not have to determine our future.

Help I've Been Wandering and Wondering

Refining and Defining for Reassigning a word for this season:
For many of us the last year has been difficult. For most of us the first few months of this year has seem to halt any spiritual progress and deterred us (detoured us) from what we felt God has wanted us to do. Remember you only find detours where there is construction. So you might as well understand that in this season you are under construction.

I can compare this season with being in a sand storm, and not having visibility. All you can see is a long distance outline of where you think you are heading. Here you are crawling forward with no idea how long it’s going to take you to get to your destination. In the process though there is sand irritating you; getting into places that you didn’t think possible. If any of you ever been at the beach on a windy day; you know that sand gets into everything including your food. It sticks to your skin, gets into your eyes and doesn’t come off easy. The good news is; that it comes off with water. The sand represents life’s problems and irritants. Let us therefore wash ourselves with the water of God’s Word and the presence of His Spirit.

But…I heard this from the Spirit of God. Open your mouth and let me fill it during this season. Allow the sand to fill your mouth and just like an oyster I will cause the irritation of the sand and pressure to form a pearl in your mouth. If you will wait on me great wisdom will come to you. James 1:5 You have the mind of Christ.  For “who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ. 1 Corinthians 2:16

Did you know…
A natural pearl (often called an Oriental pearl) forms when an irritant, such as a piece of sand, works its way into a particular species of oyster, mussel, or clam. As a defense mechanism, the mollusk secretes a fluid to coat the irritant. Layer upon layer of this coating is deposited on the irritant until a lustrous pearl is formed. http://www.pearls.com

So you may ask what is the purpose of all of this? “I say to you that I’m defining who you are not; to better define who you are.” This is a season for those who are called but have been out of alignment. My purpose is to cause you to return to your first love. “I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.” Revelations 3:18 The end product ultimately is to reassign you to your purpose and destiny in God. The sooner we understand this, the sooner we will get through the refiner’s fire. “Again allow me to fill your mouth during this season.” Let your tongue become the sword of the Lord.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. 3 Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. 4 And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. Genesis 1:1-4
God is waiting for you speak over the formless void in your life to bring forth light in your circumstances. The Spirit of God is hovering over the face of your problems waiting to hear the Word of the Lord to be spoken. Speak “Let there be light!” (Light = Revelation) Ask God for revelation in your situation. As you do this, God will start to separate or define what is light and what is dark. What’s God and what’s not. What has been your soul-distraction and what is clearly Him.

For some of you God must first reduce you down to nothing so he can do something. But don’t despair for a Genesis or a new beginning is soon to come upon you. Just like in Genesis He will cause you to be separated from the things that weren’t meant for you. Even though you may feel like you are being reduced down to a stump; understand God’s purpose is to bring forth fruit.

Did you know…
Well, to start with, the task of pruning grape vines is not all or nothing--there is room for error, and the chances of you killing the plant are pretty unlikely.
If you don’t prune your plant you can be assured it will produce less fruit and in a couple years, stop bearing fruit all together. So there are not too many ways you can fail by pruning grape vines each year. The fruit grows on the shoots that are produced by one-year-old canes, so each year the previous season’s growth needs to be cut back. http://www.grapefacts.net


Prayer…
Father, we agree with heaven and we will not allow anything else but God’s Word to go forth out of our mouths. Father, we declare that a new thing is about to break forth and cause us to see what’s of you and what is flesh/soul. Separate us unto yourself. Align us. We choose this day to buy of you gold. We embrace suffering. For we know it brings forth the fruit of righteousness in our lives. Refine us like gold that we may show forth the reflection of your Son. We believe that our tears will be turned in triumph and our mourning into dancing. We pick up our swords and say no weapon formed against us shall prosper and every tongue that rises up against we shall condemn. We have the mind of Christ. Let your character be formed in us. We choose to forgive those who have despitefully used us. Matthew 5:44, Mark 11:25-26 Therefore according to Mark 11:23-24 We speak with confidence to this mountain (obstacle, hindrance) get our way in Jesus name.

Matthew 5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

Mark 11:23-24 For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. 24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

Mark 11:25-26
“And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. 26 But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.