Storm Fire Earthquake

Christchurch has experienced storm, earthquake and fire.

1. Storm

In October 2000, a severe storm
damaged Christchurch.  Winds reached 180 kph and many buildings had their roofs lifted off.  The newly established Lyttleton Marina was destroyed; 20 boats sunk and dozens of others were damaged.  The marina itself was smashed into little pieces.

2. Earthquake

In September 2010, the Darfield earthquake struck.  It was followed by a more serious earthquake in February 2011.  180 people were killed by collapsing buildings.  Thousands of buildings were damaged and most had to be demolished.

3. Fire

In February 2017, fire raged on
the Port hills at the southern side of Christchurch.  A dozen homes were destroyed and a new adventure park with facilities for downhill trail biking was severely damaged.

People are now saying that Christchurch needs a break.

Christchurch does need a break.  But unfortunately, when civic and religious fathers allow a Jezebel spirit to establish a stronghold over their city, it will not get a break.

The key is 1 Kings 19:11-12.

Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind.  After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake.  After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire.  And after the fire came a gentle whisper.

After destroying the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel, Elijah had fled in fear and dread into the wilderness, after Jezebel threatened to take his life.  When he collapsed in exhaustion, God sent and angel to cook a meal for him.  After he had eaten, God led him for forty days and nights to a cave on Mount Horeb, the mountain of God.

God spoke to him and asked him to stand in the presence of the Lord and watch.  The Lord was not in the storm.  He was not in the earthquake or the fire.  These were attacks by the spiritual powers of evil stirred up by Jezebel to intimidate and destroy Elijah.  However, God had placed him in a cave where they could not hurt him.

God spoke to Elijah in a gentle whisper.  He told Elijah what to do to get rid of the evil kings that dominated Israel.

These verses apply to Christchurch.

Many Christians said that the earthquakes were God’s judgment on Christchurch.  Some will say that the fire is a judgment, but that is not correct.

Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind.  After the wind, there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake.  After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire.

These events were attacks by the spiritual powers of evil led by the Jezebel Spirit that has a stronghold over the city.  They know that God has a great plan for this city.  He plans to establish his kingdom here in a way that will be light to the nations.  They were trying to destroy the city, before it happens.

The earthquake failed to destroy God’s plan.  It actually strengthened it by destroying the centre of the city where power resides.  The spiritual powers of evil are now trying to obstruct God’s work in the city, by using the fire to feed fear and dread into it.  They know that fear makes people easier to control.

We must be clear.  God was not in the storm, the earthquake or the fire.  He spoke in the quiet whisper that followed.  God has many prophets hidden in caves in Christchurch.  Now is the time for them to stand in his presence and listen to his still quiet voice.

God will explain to them how to destroy the evil stronghold that controls the city.  He will explain to them how he will establish his kingdom in the city. Elijah confronted Ahab and Jezebel after Naboth was killed (1 Kings 21:20-24).  The destruction of the house of Jezebel and Ahab was initiated by a prophet proclaiming God’s word and then running to safety (1 Kings 9:1-10).

The latest enemy attack on Christchurch has failed.  God will soon release events that will see his Kingdom come to fullness in the city.

Restoration

The storm, earthquake and fire points to how God will bring restoration to Christchurch.

1. A spiritual storm will shake the foundations of the church and sweep away everything that is not built on Jesus and empowered by the spirit.  This is what Graeme Cooke prophesied.

2. An economic earthquake will sweep away the political economic structures that controlled the city from the centre.

3. The fire of the Holy Spirt will fall on God’s people and the gospel will go forth with healings and miracles following.  God will confirm his word with signs and wonders.  As the gospel advances, the kingdom of God will come to fullness.

New Foundations

Three years after the Christchurch earthquake good progress is being made, but thousands of houses still need to be repaired or rebuilt. I took this photo recently while out for a walk at lunch time.

This house needs new foundations. It has been jacked up so they can be rebuilt. The bobcat was working under the house clearing out the old foundations.

Must be a parable here.

House Demolition

The insurance company has finally demolished the house that we lived in four five years. The foundation and land was badly damaged by the earthquake, so it could not be repaired.

We just happened to drive by last night and the excavator was sitting on the section next to it. By 10am this morning the house was down and the rubble was being loaded on a truck. They are now breaking up the concrete foundation to remove it, too. It is exactly a year today since we found the house we are now living in.

The house in front and behind are waiting to be demolished too.

This is how it looked when the contractors were finished. The government now owns the land.

Crane Economics

This a view of the Christchurch CBD from the place where I work. Virtually every high rise building has a crane towering beside it.

Cranes on the horizon are usually a sign of a building boom, but not here. These cranes are working to demolish buildings that were damaged by in the earthquake and are too costly to repair. The red excavator is will demolish a building in a couple of weeks. When the demolitions are complete, there will be no tall building left in the centre of the city.

The demolition and rebuilding of office towers will contribute to the short-term stimulation of the economy, because most of the re-insurance money is coming from the United States and Europe (insurance take-up is very high here). However, after five years of demolishing and rebuilding, the capital stock will be not be much greater than it was before the earthquake, so productivity will not have increased at all. We will have run a long way to get back to the place where we were before.

Christchurch - Centreless City

The February 2011 earthquake caused severe damage to the central city. Over the last year, the Earthquake Recovery Authority has worked vigorously to demolish the damaged buildings. Eighty percent of the buildings in the central city have not been demolished. In a few months, all high-rise buildings will be gone.

The city fathers have embarked on an ambitious plan to rebuild the central city. Blinded by big insurance payouts and election promises from the central government, the city council is creating a grandiose plan for a bigger brighter city. My expectation is that just as this project gets under way, the cold winds of economic change will sweep across New Zealand and the money will dry up. The city leaders will discover that all the money that is left will be used up repairing the sewage, water and roading system.

The city council will push on regardless, but will eventually fall into the hole it has created, with liabilities that far exceed the values of its assets. The government in Wellington will not have the resources to come to its aid.

The rebuild of Christchurch will grind to a halt, leaving an empty hole in the centre of the city. A centreless city fits with God’s plan for Christchurch. He will build his kingdom from the outside in. He has been building small groups of kingdom seekers throughout the city. They are an Invisible Spiritual Army that will take back the city for him.

The centre of the city is the place where political power and the powers of evil meet together to leverage their control. With the central city destroyed, their base of power will be gone, opening the way for God to build his kingdom from the edges.

More Earthquake

We have just been for a walk round our neighbourhood. The liquefaction is quite bad in places. The earthmoving machinery has moved much of it. Great that these men are willing to work on the Christmas Eve Saturday.














There does not seem to be much additional damage to the structures of the houses.

Thief of Peace

The insurance companies call it an act of God, but they are wrong.
Jesus was born as the prince of peace.

The thief comes to steal and destroy.
The master thief has timed the earthquake perfectly to rob Christchurch people of their peace this Christmas.

Another Christchurch Earthquake

We have had several nasty earthquakes today. The first struck just out to sea at 1.58pm and was magnitude 5.8 quake. A larger magnitude 6 quake struck at 3.18pm. It was centered on New Brighton just a few kilometers from here, so we were really rocked around. There have been smaller aftershocks throughout the afternoon and evening.

A large cupboard fell over in our garage. A scotch chest in our bed room fell over. Other stuff fell off the shelves, but nothing much seems to have broken.

This is our driveway. The earthquake forced water up through the asphalt. Fortunately, it did not bring silt with it.

There was quite bad liquefaction in the street. You can see where water burst up out from under the ground, bringing silt with it. The force of the water is so strong that it breaks the asphalt.

We only had a little bit of liquefaction in our back yard, but nothing serious.

I finished work yesterday, so was at home when the quake struck. We did not lose electricity or water, so we are quite comfortable.

No one was seriously injured in the city. The CBD is mostly closed to the public, while buildings damaged in previous earthquakes are demolished. I presume that the demolition crews would have stopped work for the Christmas break. Many other businesses had closed about lunch time, so people were heading home from work when the quake struck.

The suburban shopping malls were full of people, but the buildings stood up the shaking well.

People are feeling really stressed and fearful. Things had been quiet for the last two months and we had hoped that the aftershocks were over, but now the cycle will start over again. I expect we will have aftershocks for the next few months.

Third Big One?

A warning of a Third Big Earthquake in Christchurch shared by Kathy Robinson (KR), an intercessor living in North Canterbury, is causing a lot of confusion and fear in Christchurch. I take prophecy seriously, so I have prayed about what this means. Here is my take on it.

I believe that KR did hear from God. She was right about a third earthquake, but wrong about the timing and some of the interpretation around her revelation.

We should not forget that Christchurch has already experienced three big earthquakes, in September 2010 (7.2), February 2010 (6.3) and June 2011(6.3) Some of the people in my neighbourhood have had to shovel the silt of liquefaction out of their homes three different times.

The third earthquake in June was the same strength as the one in February, but in some parts of Eastern Christchurch, it did more damage. The June quake left worse devastation in the CBD, as many of the buildings that owners had hoped to repair received further damage meaning they have had to be demolished. Hopes that the cathedral could be repaired were smashed.

I would not classify KR’s revelation as a prophecy. It is more a series of words of knowledge, received in response to questions she asked God. Asking questions of God is a good way to get understanding.

Most Christians would find it hard to know what to do with a revelation like this one, so KR deserves credit for the way she handled it. She gave the word to friends to pray over, before handing it to leaders of the intercession movement to test. The fear arose when other Christians began to hand her word around as if it was a validated prophecy (see Prophets and Prayers).

KRs first word of knowledge was received on 25 Sept 2010, a few weeks after the first earthquake.

One hundred and fifty days!

She seems to have been spot on with this, as it points to the 23 February 2011, the day after the second big quake.

After the February 2011 earthquake, she got a second revelation.

There is more yet to come.

She then asked when, and got one word,

Months

This seems fine to me. After the February earthquake, many Christians felt that it was not all over and that there was another big one to come.

However, being dissatisfied with the level of detail that God has given is risky, because a number of days later, KR sought another word and was given a specific date. This date does not ring true withme. God cannot be inconsistent. He would not give a broad time spread, and then change his mind and give a precise date a few days later. Therefore, I assume that the correct word on timing was that it would happen in a few months.

We should note that other people getting the same date does not prove that a date is from God. The enemy can send the same fiery dart against a number of people (Eph 6:16). The court prophets supporting the King of Israel often had the same word, but they were usually wrong (1 Kings 22:13) (see Dreams of Disaster).

If God said in February that there would be another big earthquake in a few months time, this was a true word, as it was fulfilled when the third big earthquake struck in June 2011.

A few days after getting the date, KR received another revelation,

water and drownings.

This probably came from God, but it has been misinterpreted. Many have interpreted it literally as a tsunami, but this is not right. I believe these words should be interpreted symbolically. Being swamped by water is usually a symbol for being spiritually or emotionally overwhelmed. Drownings can represent the crushing of the human spirit and the choking of hope. Psalm 18:16-17 and Psalm 69:14-15 are examples.

This is what happened after the third earthquake. After the February quake, people got straight out to remove the silt from their backyards. It was hard hot work, but their words were full of hope. “This thing will not beat us. We are resilient people, so we will come through this stronger.” The situation in Eastern Christchurch was totally different after the June quake. People were slow to take on the removal of silt. It seemed like they just did not have the energy to deal with it. They spoke words of despair, not hope. “We have had more than we can take. We cannot cope with any more”. Self-pity emerged quickly, and sometimes turned into complaint.

A thirty something man whom I met on the street looked like someone who would usually be afraid of nothing, but he had big tears in his eyes as he spoke about the uncertainty and fears for his family’s future.

Having seen the effect that the June earthquake had on the people that went through it, I cannot accept some of the scriptures and context that KR put round her words of knowledge. She said,

The impression I received was that the people’s hearts are so hardened that it would become necessary yet again to bring judgment before change would happen.

This assessment sounds like it was made by someone living outside Christchurch. It does not match with what I see here. In the eastern suburbs of Christchurch, where the effects of the earthquake are worst, hearts are not hard. People are worried, frightened, confused, angry, hurt and scared. You can see it on their faces, and when they speak, the stuff in their hearts comes out of their mouths. These are not hard hearts that need to be broken by judgment. They are broken hearts that need to see the love of Jesus and receive the peace of the Holy Spirit (see Hard Hearts).

Concern about prophecies of earthquakes has absorbed a huge amount of spiritual energy. God has things for his people to do in this city. We must be careful that we do not get distracted from his purposes by earthquakes and rumours of earthquakes.

I believe that the revelation received by KR was fulfilled when the third big earthquake struck in June. We will continue to experience aftershocks in Christchurch, but God has not said that we will have another big one. At the end of September, I will be the Eastern Christchurch going about my life as usual. I will try to serve Jesus and walk in the leading of the Spirit. I encourage everyone to follow the leading of the Spirit, not the voice of fear.

Dreams of Disaster

Several dreams about another earthquake and tsunami are doing the rounds in Christchurch. They are causing a lot of fear and confusion.

Christians should understand that dreams can come from different sources.

1. Most dreams come of our own minds and memories. They are often a mash-up of our past experiences and current emotions, but seem to be real because they are staged in surrounding that are familiar to us. During times of stress, our dreams sometimes become more dramatic and disturbing. Some people experience terrible nightmares during times of trouble. Most dreams are more normal and are quickly forgotten.

2. God can speak to us through our dreams. Joseph is well known for dreaming and interpreting dreams. There were four dreams associated with the birth of Jesus. His life was saved by a dream (Matt 2:12). Overall, dreams from God are relatively rare. I have had thousands of dreams during my lifetime, but there would only be a handful that I have thought might come from God. We can also assume that most dreams do not come from God.

3. Angels can speak into our dreams. An angel spoke to Joseph in a dream, before and after the birth of Jesus (Matt 1:20; Matt 2:13).

4. If angels can speak to us while we are dreaming, then evil spirits probably can too. They could sometimes push a false thought into our dreams, but this should be rare for Christians under God’s protection. Saul was vexed by an evil spirit (1 Sam 16:14). I presume that it tormented him day and night, but this only happened after he lost the blessing of God.

Christians should be alert for God speaking in a dream, but they should also be aware that most dreams are just dross from our minds. Therefore, a dream should be tested, before it is taken as guidance or revelation.

• When a dream sticks in our minds until the morning, we should not automatically assume that it has come from God. That may be the case, but it is more likely that it has come out of own mind. We should pray about the source of the dream and get the witness of the spirit, before deciding that it has come from God.

• The fact that a dream is dramatic or disturbing does not mean that it is from God. During times of trouble and crisis, frightening and disturbing dreams become more common, but it does not mean anything. Dreams of falling from a height, being overwhelmed by water, or being chased by something dreadful are very common. These dreams do not mean anything, but are just a reflection of the dreamer’s situation.

• The fact that two people have the same dream does not mean that it comes from God. They may have had similar experiences, or been tricked by the enemy.

• Evil spirits can pretend to be angels. Therefore, a dream in which an angel speaks can be a deception. Even dreams in which angels teach should be tested.

Once that it is confirmed that a dream is from God, it must be interpreted carefully. Some dreams are literal, but most are symbolic. Pharaoh’s dream of the fat and thin cows is an example (Gen 41:1-4). He understood that the cows were not real and that he needed someone to interpret the dream. Over the last twenty years, a number of Christians have had dreams of big waves sweeping across New Zealand. Most have interpreted these waves as symbolising waves of spiritual renewal. Interpreting dreams that are symbolic as if they were literal is a common cause of error.

When describing a dream, the description of the dream should be kept separate from the interpretation. These two things often get mixed together, which produces confusion. I have written more on this at Publishing Dreams.

Christians should be particularly careful about dreams that circulate on the internet.

• Not everything on the internet is true. The web is a mixture, like everything in life.

• The fact that a dream is on the internet does not mean it is from God. Most dreams are human.

• Things on the internet often get copied and circulated in a different form by different people. This can make it seem like many people have had the same revelation, when they have really come from the same source.

• Christians should be careful about attributions on the internet that are vague. A statement saying “a well-respected pastor in a spirit-filled church has confirmed this is true” means almost nothing, because it cannot be validated.

• Everyone putting stuff on the internet is not good. Some words that circulate have are deliberately written in order to deceive. Christians should be alert for hoaxes.

Dreams can be a powerful means of communication. God can use dreams to get us thinking about something that we have been ignoring. Christians should be aware that he may speak in this way. I suspect that a good many dreams from God have been ignored by the people who really need to receive them.

On the other hand, Christians should be alert and test everything that they receive, especially from the internet.

With regard to the dream that is circulating, the bullying words within it suggest that it is not from God. He would not threaten,

those who do not listen will perish.

Jesus said something quite different (John 3:16-17). I sense that the dream is a description of what the enemy would like to do, but is unable to do.

Hard Hearts?

One word warning of another earthquake for Christchurch uses these words to give the reason.

The impression I received was that the people’s hearts are so hardened that it would become necessary yet again to bring judgment before change would happen.

This assessment sounds like it was made by someone living outside Christchurch. It does not match with what I see here. In the eastern suburbs of Christchurch, where the effects of the earthquake are worst, hearts are not hard. People are worried, frightened, confused, angry, hurt and scared. You can see it on their faces, and when they speak, the stuff in their hearts comes out of their mouths. These are not hard hearts.

People have not turned back to God, but I would not expect that, because most do not know him. They do not know much about the church, other than what they hear in the news. A few have heard the gospel, but they have not seen it being lived in their midst.

When we got together with some Christian to pray for Christchurch, one person got the following picture.

A group of Christians were gathered in a park for worship. It looked like an outdoor church service. These people worshipping were surrounded by a fence with vertical iron A great crowd of people were outside the fence looking in. They wanted to get in. Some were hanging onto the bars and peering through at the people worshipping. Although they were on the outside they looked like they were in prison. The people worshipping had not seen them, and did not realise they were there. Then over one side, I saw Jesus moving around among the people outside the fence.

This suggests that the obstacle is not with the people of the world, but with the church. It is so preoccupied with good activities that it is not aware of the all broken people in the city longing for peace and hope. God does not need to send judgment to bring change in Christchurch. He needs to wake up the church to live out the gospel among the people of the city.

Question

According to one of the prophetic words swirling around Christchurch, a another serious earthquake is going to strike Christchurch on a specified day in September. I believe this was a call to intercessors to pray and not a prophetic word, but it raises an interesting question. Many Christians are planning to leave town for the day to be safe, but is that the right response.

If all Christians were to leave the city, they would take the Holy Spirit with them. Well, he would not be totally absent from the city, but without out the body of Christ to work through, he would be relatively powerless in the city. Who would benefit? The forces of evil would still be present in the city, so they would have a much free hand to work while the Christians are absent.

I would be sad if a revelation that God gave to encourage his people to pray for the good of the city led to evil getting a greater freedom in the city, even if just for a day.

If Christchurch does have another bad earthquake, I hope that Christians will be there to serve and support those who suffer.

Jesus Appearance (7) - Earth and Sky

The earth and sky will be totally changed by the second resurrection. With the physical and spiritual dimensions merged, earth will seem much less grand.

We look at the stars in the sky and are filled with wonder. We look at pictures of the earth taken from space and think it is amazing. However, when see the glory of the spiritual realms, the physical world will shrivel into insignificance. Earth and sky will seem to collapse and disappear. Physical things will not have changed, but we will be seeing them in correct perspective for the first time. We think that space is immense, but when we see the spiritual realm, it will suddenly seem small. As we see the glory of the spiritual realm for the first time, earth and space will shrink away.

Some of this is captured this woodenly literal translation of Peter’s prophecy.

The day of the Lord will come like a thief. The spiritual world will come near with a booming, the orderly arrangement of things will be loosed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be exposed…. That day will bring about the releasing of the spiritual dimensions by fire, and the order of things will liquefy in the heat (2 Pet 3:10,12).

The elements will seem to be dissolving before our eyes. The stars will seem to be rolling up like a scroll. They will not be disappearing, but the beauty and wonder of the spiritual realms is so wonderful, that the earth and sky, as we know them, will fade into insignificance. Such a dramatic event will produce plenty of heat and light.

Crushed and Broken Spirits

On Tuesday morning after the latest earthquake, I went for a walk around our suburb. The streets are usually empty of people and full of cars driving to work and school on a weekday morning. This Tuesday, the streets were full of people, because many work places and schools had not yet reopened. People will out with shovels and wheelbarrows, starting on the task of shoveling silt from their lawns and gardens. Where liquefaction had come up through cracked foundations, people were shovelling sandy silt out of their houses. In a few cases a bit of sewage is mixed in. This was the third time that many had undertaken this task.

I was struck by the number of broken people. Many feel like they have had enough and wanted to move away. Others just did not have the energy to start cleaning up the mess one more time. I have never seen so many shattered spirits. It left me feeling really helpless. I did not know what to say to these broken people.

1. I suppose I could have told them that God loved them, but that would be hard to accept.

2. I suppose that I could have advised them to ask Jesus into their hearts, so they could have perfect peace. But that seemed a bit trite.

3. I could have told them to go to church on Sunday. If the worship service is up to standard, they would get a lift strong enough to keep them going until the next Sunday.

4. I would love to have been able to tell them to believe in Jesus and they would be joining a community of people who love one another and pray for each; a community where people stand together sharing what they have and supporting each other; a community that shovels each others silt. Unfortunately, that community does not exist in this part of the city.

The earthquake is not my real worry. The aftershocks will fade and disappear in less than a year. But that is not the end of distress. Our nation has lost the blessing of God, so there are worse economic shocks and social distress to come. My real worry is that the the body of Christ is almost totally unprepared for the opportunities that lie ahead.

Christchurch Earthquake

On Monday, Christchurch was struck by another serious aftershock, 6.3 on the Richter scale. I was away for the day attending meetings in our capital city, so I missed the shake. My wife was home on her own, but her brother was visiting from another town, when the quake struck. This was good for her, but scary for him, as he is not used to earthquakes. I managed to get home at night, but the flight was a couple of hours late, because the airport had been close for several hours, disrupting flight schedules.

Many of the damaged buildings in the central city area collapsed further. The eastern parts of the city experienced further liquefaction. For some it was worse than in the February quake.

We just had a little bit in the back corner of our section. Only a couple of wheelbarrow loads to remove. No further damage to our house.

Here are some photos that we took when we went for a walk yesterday.

The windows are no longer square

Sunk into the ground.

A room has fallen off the back of the house.

>

This mobile generator is providing us with electricity.

Why Did Christians Die (2) - Time to Die

Each of us has a time to die. For some Christians, that time might coincide with a disaster.

• God never promised that we would never die. He has not even promised us a specific number of years.

• Our lives end when God considers we have finished our work on earth. That time can arrive at any stage in our lives.

• We are not good judges of when a person’s life is complete. We often think a person has died too soon, but we do not have an eternal perspective. Life on earth is a blink compared with all eternity. If a blink is shortened to half a blink, very little is lost.

• God has not made any promises about how we will die. He did not guarantee that Christians would die in their sleep. Moses dropped dead on the day his work was complete, but that probably only happens with an extremely godly life (Deut 24:5). God has not promised that we will not die in a disaster.

• Death is not the end for Christians, because we are promised life after death.

  Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you (John 14:1-2)?

  This hope is more certain than death. Christians who died in a disater are just as safe with God, as if they had died in their sleep.

• Christians have a wonderful hope, so death is not the end, but a beginning of eternal life. That hope should change our perspective on every death, especially those that occur during in a disaster.

Why Did Christians Die (1) - Big Question

When disasters strike and Christians are killed, people ask why it happened. Some Christians will wonder why God did not protect his people and may begin thinking that promises like Psalm 121:5-8 might need to be modified.

The LORD watches over you—
the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
The LORD will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;
the LORD will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.

Christians want to be able to trust God’s promises, but when a Christian dies during a disaster, their faith is shaken. Many ask the big question.

Why did it happen?

Several common responses should be avoided when asking this question.

1. We should not base a theology of personal suffering and evil on what happened to our friends. Our theology should be drawn from the Word of God. Forcing the scriptures to fit our experience is unwise.

2. When trying to deal with difficult questions we must be avoid solutions that impugn God’s character or suggest that he did evil. A tendency to blame God often emerges when things go wrong, but blaming him for things he has not done is foolish. It is better to err on blaming people or evil spirits than on blaming God. Job provides an example of a good attitude to God.

   In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing (Job 2:10).

   We are fallible fallen humans, so we should be very careful about passing responsibility to God, especially if we do not have our own house in order. We must be careful not to take offence at God, as it destroys faith.

3. Some Christians suggest that we should just trust God without asking questions. He knows why the disaster happened, so we do not need to know. This not very satisfactory, because it can make God seem inconsistent or irrational. It is hard to trust a God, who saves one and refuses to rescue another, without any apparent reason, so blind faith is never the answer.

4. An opposite view that is gaining transaction is not better. The tragic death was just bad luck. The Christians was in the wrong place at the wrong time. This does not help, because God is pushed out and replaced by the false god of randomness.

There are several good reasons why a Christian might die during a disaster. I will discuss these in the next few posts.

We probably will not know which reason applies in each situation, but understanding the possibilities will help us avoid using the Lord's name in vain.

Cause of the Christchurch Earthquake (8) - Endgame

God’s plan and purpose for Christchurch has not changed. The forces of evil are flexing their muscles in the city, because they hate God’s purpose for the city and want to prevent them from being fulfilled. They will throw a few more economic tantrums, but they cannot prevent the Holy Spirit from fulfilling his plans for Christchurch.

The founders of Christchurch made many mistakes, but they gained a strong sense of God’s purpose for the city. They aspired to build a society based on faith and obedience to God, where Christian civilisation could be preserved from the forces destroying their world.

The Canterbury Settlement… appears likely to further the efforts already made to extend the blessed influence of the Redeemer’s kingdom, not only throughout New Zealand, but also in the surrounding islands of the Pacific Ocean.

They believed that the city would leaven the whole mass of the earth with the light and glory of the gospel of the Kingdom.

This is God’s destiny for Christchurch. He wants Christchurch to be a model to the nations of a city living under his government and being a light to the nations. As evil spreads, he is preparing people who can be a light shining in the darkness. He wants to give Christchurch his kingdom, so it can be copied in other nations and continents, as they turn back to God. The Kingdom of God is central to God’s purpose for Christchurch.

We must be careful not to let the earthquake set our agendas. Reacting to events is always limiting. Reacting to enemy’s actions can be rally distracting. We should be actively led by the Spirit into all that God has planned for us. If we just respond to what the enemy is doing, we could miss our goal. All our plans should be checked against God’s agenda for his kingdom.

The Lord is saying to the people of Christchurch,

Do not be distracted by the earthquake.
Do not be impressed by the earthquake.
Compared to the power of my Holy Spirit,
the power of the earthquake is nothing.
Do not let the earthquake set your agenda.
My plans and my purpose for Christchurch have not changed.
My people should be shaped by my word and my Spirit
Commit yourself to obeying my will
and fulfilling my purposes
and you will see the Kingdom of God revealed.

Warning events are a sign that the spiritual climate is heating up. Herod responded to the wise men by killing all the baby boys living in Bethlehem. The enemy knew that Jesus was important, but did not understand how, so he lashed out wildly. The earthquake is a warning sign. It shows that the enemy is aware that God is up to something here, but does not understand what, so he is striking out with violence. He tried to destroy the central city and the large church buildings, because he assumed that is where God is working, but he is wrong.

God will use an Invisible Army to accomplish his purpose for Christchurch. Many have been called and equipping smaller groups of people all over the city. Most people do not see them, because they are looking in the wrong places. They are hidden to those without the eyes of the Spirit, but they will be ready when God decides to move. The earthquakes will make them stronger, so the enemy’s plans have backfired.

The enemy has always been afraid of what God is doing in Christchurch. In the early days, he used deception and manipulation to fight back, but now he is really scared, because he senses the time of fulfilment is close. We do not need to be afraid, but should press into God’s purposes, knowing that the time when the glory of the kingdom of god will fill the earth is near.

This complete series is at Causes of Christchurch Earthquake.

Discerning Seasons (7) - Remnant Rising

When the tipping point is passed, the forces of evil are impressed by their numbers and assume they are winning. They do get to work more evil on earth, but they are still losing. They can never win the larger battle, because Jesus won a complete victory on the cross, and the Holy Spirit is at work to make it a reality in history. Nothing that happens on earth, now or in the future, can nullify the victory of the cross. Getting the numbers on earth enables the power of darkness work more evil in the world, but it does not prevent God from accomplishing his purposes.

God has infinite power and wisdom, so he does not depend on numbers to accomplish his purposes. He will often choose to work with a small, overwhelmed group of people, so that his glory can be revealed through them. All he needs is a few people:

• seeking his Kingdom first;
• listening to the Holy Spirit;
• bound together by love;
• willing to take up the cross;
• and follow Jesus.

A small of committed remnant, working with the Holy Spirit, can defeat a large array of opposing power.

When the tipping point is passed and the world is flooded with evil, God raises a remnant. They will be in the world, so they will not escape the pain, but by standing together, they will rise above it to do God’s work. He can accomplish more through a small committed than the forces of evil can accomplish with a free hand.

• Moses stood alone on the shore with his hand stretched over the sea, and God destroyed chariots and horses of the mighty Egyptian Pharaoh (Ex 14:27-28).

• Gideon defeated a Midianite multitude with 300 dedicated men (Judges 7:7).

• David achieved great victories with 30 might men (1 Sam 23).

• Elijah and the Holy Spirit defeated an army Arameans (2 Kings 6:18-20).

• When the loyal followers of Jesus had been hiding behind locked doors, Peter preached in the power of the Holy Spirit and three thousand people came to faith in Jesus (Acts 2:41).

• Peter and John were thrown into jail by the temple authorities, but the Holy Spirit brought another two thousand into the Kingdom of God.

Each of these victories came at a time when God’s people seemed to be overwhelmed. The remnant often suffered greatly, but because they stood together, and walked with the Holy Spirit, God was able to accomplish his purposes through them.

On several occasions, God got things underway with a woman serving or praying alone.

• God used a young girl called Miriam hiding in a swamp (Ex 2:7) to save Moses who rose to deliver all the children of Israel and bring then under God’s covenant.

• Hannah cried out of her bitterness for a son whom she dedicated to the Lord (1 Sam 1:1-11). God used her to raise up Samuel, who released David, who defeated the enemies of Israel.

• The prayers of the prophetess called Anna opened the way for God to send redemption through Jesus (Luke 2:36-38).

The remnant is often starts off invisible, hidden on the edges of society and away from the corridors of power.

• David started his ministry in a cave called Adullum, surrounded by the distressed and the discontented (1 Sam 22:1-2).

• Jesus began his ministry in Galilee away from the distractions and power plays of Jerusalem.

The remnant does not confront evil head on, but works quietly in hidden places. By remaining out of sight for a time, it gains time to develop and grow. The forces of evil are obsessed with hierarchy and power, so they concentrate their attention on the places of power and privilege where their authority is growing. They will not notice the move of God that is gathering strength in the shadows until it is too late. By the time that they notice the remnant that the Holy Spirit has equipped, it will have multiplied out to become an unstoppable force.

The LORD Almighty has sworn,
Surely, as I have planned, so it will be,
and as I have purposed, so it will happen.
This is the plan determined for the whole world;
this is the hand stretched out over all nations.
For the LORD Almighty has purposed, and who can thwart him?
His hand is stretched out, and who can turn it back (Is 14:24, 26,27)?

The Lord’s hand is stretched over the nations. He will accomplish his purposes and nothing can thwart him. A season when he appears to be pushed out of the world often comes just before the Holy Spirit move in power to reveal his glory.

Discerning Seasons (6) - Corporate Spiritual Strongholds

I have just realised that when I wrote the article called Tipping Point in the series on Discerning Seasons, I left out this important category. So here it is. The full article can be found at Discerning Seasons.

Christians with authority in the secular world can amplify God’s authority in their culture by submitting to the Holy Spirit. The reverse is true. The forces of evil can leverage their authority in a similar way by building corporate spiritual strongholds.
When the people with power in a society all begin to believe a lie, it seeps into the hearts and minds of those who submit to their authority. The lie becomes a corporate mental stronghold affecting everyone living. The lie could be a religious belief, a negative attitude about themselves or bad attitude to other people.

A corporate mental stronghold is a false idea that takes hold in a culture so that it is accepted by everyone in the area. When demonic powers can attach themselves to the lie that is accepted everywhere in a culture, they can establish a corporate spiritual stronghold. Everyone who submits to the powers of the city or nation open themselves to the same spirits.

Paul referred to spiritual powers that have a corporate spiritual stronghold over a city or nation “principalities and powers”. By concentrating on a spiritual weakness that pervades a culture, these spiritual forces can concentrate their power and amplify their authority. The spirits that have control over political and religious leaders can gain huge authority, if the people submitting to these leaders have similar attitudes and beliefs. (Peter Wagner describes a corporate spiritual stronghold that has taken hold in Japan.)

Even though there are many Christians in the society, the principalities and powers have amplified their authority by controlling the people with political or religious power.

Corporate spiritual strongholds are really difficult to beat.

• The political and religious powers have given the spirits permission
  to be there. Christians can pray and bind the spirits, but as soon as
  they turn their back, the people with authority effectively “pull
  rank” and give them permission to return.

• Some Christians have been seriously harmed when engaging in
  spiritual warfare against principalities and powers that have been
  given permission to be there by people with greater authority.

• When new people move into positions of authority, they are quickly
  overwhelmed by the spiritual forces and begin to go along. This is why
  democratic change often fails. The newly elected government is soon
  dominated by the same spirits, so nothing changes. (Think Obama).

Corporate spiritual strongholds are there with permission of political
or religious leaders, so these leaders will have to be kicked out or
changed before the stronghold can be removed. The key to changing the
spiritual situation is changing the people with authority.

• Paul urged Christians to pray for kings and people in authority,
  so they would change their hearts and boot out the principalities and
  powers (1 Tim 2:2).

• Jesus urged those who are preaching the gospel to seek out the
  person of influence in a town (Matt 10:11).

• The prophet Daniel changed the spiritual climate in Babylon when
  the kings acknowledged his wisdom and spiritual authority.

• When the people of Nineveh heard Jonah’s preaching and
  repented, the king of Nineveh also shook himself free.

• Influencing the authorities that keep corporate spiritual
  strongholds in place is an important part of the prophetic minsitry.

If the corporate stronghold is really strong and those with authority
in the society are staunch in their support, the only solution might be a Destructive
Judgement that sweeps them away. For example, when the Kings of
Babylon got too hard, God allowed the Medes and Persians to destroy them.
Daniel gained influence with Cyrus the Mede (Dan 6) and the he submitted
to God. A destructive judgment will be God’s last resort, because it is
hard to avoid collateral damage.