Discerning Seasons (4) - Amplifying Authority

Christians with authority in business or politics can amplify the authority of God even further. People like Joseph, Jeremiah or Isaiah are really important. Their position in the political system increased their influence. When they pray for God’s will to be done, his authority on earth is dramatically boosted. A small minority with authority in business or government, who understand God’s will and pray for the release of his Spirit in their sphere of influence can have a huge impact on earth. They give far more authority to God than is taken by the majority who simply ignore him.

Abraham is a great example. He pleaded for Sodom to be saved and God agreed to save it if ten righteous men lived in the city, although he already knew there were not ten good men in there (Gen 18:32). This number is often taken out of context and applied to other cities with no understanding of the extent of Abraham’s authority in Sodom.

Sodom and the surrounding nations had been controlled by the King of Elam (which is in modern Iran) for thirteen years. When they rebelled, the King of Elam and some allies came against them and defeated them. Many people, including Lot, were taken captive and their property stolen. Abraham took his fighting men and defeated the King of Elam and his allies. He recovered the captives and their property (Gen 141-17).

The King of Sodom offered Abraham all his property, as anyone would in those days, if they met someone tougher than them.

The king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the people and keep the goods for yourself” (Gen 14:21).

The King was offering to pay tribute to Abraham as a more powerful leader, but Abraham told him to keep his people and his property. By submitting to Abraham, the King of Sodom gave Abraham immense authority in Sodom (that he mostly chose not to use). Abraham’s relationship with God and the pagan king’s surrender gave God authority to act in Sodom. It also gave Abraham the authority to plead for Sodom to be saved

Abraham’s faith and authority pushed the tipping point way over to the left.

Discerning Seasons (3) - Tipping Point

The second step of decline is the tipping point where the authority of the principalities and powers on earth exceeds the authority of God. When the proportion of Christian on earth reaches this tipping point, the powers of evil have much greater influence on earth. More and more events will be the consequence of their activities.

The half way point is not the tipping point. The reason is that Christians often have much greater influence than people who just ignore God without deliberately choosing to follow evil.

If Christians understand what is happening, listen to the voice of the Father, know his will, and pray wisely, the influence of the Holy Spirit is amplified. When God’s people pray according to his will, the Holy Spirit is freed to act. Therefore, even if half of the population have rejected God, those who still follow him can give authority to the Holy Spirit in the areas of life where they have authority.

Uneven Authority
Christians are not evenly spread across society, so the tipping point is not the same across an entire society, but will be different in each community, neighbourhood and sphere of authority. God will have more influence in some communities and neighbourhood than in others. The tipping point will be reached in some places sooner than in others.

New Zealand is very close to the tipping point. Some parts of our society may already have passed it.

America is not as far down the track to the tipping point as New Zealand. At least twenty percent of the American population are still serious Christians, whereas the number here is more like five. The politicians and people are still giving God considerable authority to act in America.

During good times, people assume they will last forever. As society moves towards the tipping point, people are able to reject God without seeing any serious consequences. God still has authority to act on earth and is able to restrain the worst evil that human behaviour is unleashing. This creates and illusion of security, because society is becoming ungodly, but the good times roll on. The illusion is broken when the tipping point is reached and evil gets a free hand. People are surprised when life on earth suddenly going sour.

Discerning Seasons (2) - Authority and Influence

When a large number of Christians (white line) live in a community or country, God has considerable authority in that place. He is able to determine most of what happens there. If there are very few people hostile or ambivalent to God (the black line), the evil powers are squeezed into a corner with very little influence. This brings great blessings on earth.

This blessing is lost in three phases.

Door Opened
When the number of Christians in the population declines, God’s authority on earth shrinks. His character and person remains unchanged, but his authority on earth is diminished. As the number of people rejecting God increases, a door is opened to the evil principalities and powers. Whereas previously they could only undertake minor skirmishes, the opening of this door of authority allows them to undertake major operations on earth. More of what happens is the result of their influence.

The church and society flow in tandem with to each other. If society is going downhill, it is because the church is not doing its job. It has stopped being salt and light in the world.

Discerning Seasons (1) - Authority on Earth

Most Christians believe that God is in control of the world. He decides what happens on earth. If something bad happens, God must have allowed it. When a disaster occurs, he gets the blame.

This view is not true. Not only does it create confusion, it portrays God as cruel and nasty.

Many other Christians believe that we are in what they call the “end times”. Things on earth will get worse and worse, without any rhyme or reason. Their only hope to escape before things slip too far down the gurgler. Not only is this view wrong (the end times are not mentioned in the scriptures), but it creates confusion about what God is doing and how we should respond.

When God created the earth and mankind, he took a huge risk, because he decided to give authority over earth to humans.

The highest heavens belong to the LORD,
but the earth he has given to mankind (Psalm 115:16).

He gave this authority without recourse, so he cannot snatch it back, if it is used unwisely. This has a serious consequence. Since humans have authority here, we decide what happens on earth. Whenever something bad happens, some person, or group of people has allowed it to happen.

This principle is essential for understanding prayer. Prayer is not persuading God to do what he does not want to do. Prayer is finding out what the Father wants to do and giving the Holy Spirit permission to do it. I have written about this in Prayer and Authority.

Understanding human authority is also important for understanding events on earth. In this series of posts, I will set out a framework for understanding how this works.

The full series is at Discerning Seasons.

Earthquake Essentials

From our experience without services following the Christchurch earthquake, the follow are things you should try to have.

1. Store lots of Water. We had a number of two litre bottles filled with water stored in our garage (old juice bottles are fine). Even if it is a bit stale, boiling will make it right.

2. A portable gas cooker (LPG or Butane) is really important for boiling water and cooking food.

3. A gas barbecue is really useful.

4. Keep several torches and spare batteries. Really important if disaster comes at night. Spread them around the house. We had both ours in our bedroom, but the bedroom door was jammed shut by the earthquake. That could have been a problem, if the earthquake had been at night.

5. A portable radio is essential, as it is the best way to keep in touch with what is happening elsewhere. Make sure you have plenty of fresh batteries

6. Solar lights are really handy. In the summer, we had bought several solar-powered garden lights to light up our drive way. They cost less than a dollar each. We put them outside during the day, and brought them in at night. Each one put out as much light as a candle, but is much safer. I also bought a couple with three LEDs, which are strong enough to ready by.

7. Keep plenty of food. Dried and canned food keeps for a long time and is great to have on hand.

8. A chemical toilet is essential. Some really cheap options are available from China. We have a Porta Potti. They are a great design. Having a solution to the number one problem under your control makes life bearable and reduces the risk of disease enormously.

9. Get to know your neighbours. When disaster strikes they will be more help to you than relatives and Christian friends who live a mile away.

10. A cell phone is essential. Make sure you have an independent way of charging it, because they soon run flat in an emergency. If you have a prepay account, make sure you have plenty of money on it, or keep charge card in reserve, because you burn through your money quickly in a crisis.

11. The internet is wonderful for communication. Make sure that you have a way of accessing the internet that does not depend on electricity or telephone lines, because they may not be there when trouble strikes.

12. A small portable generator can be really useful. They are made really cheap in China now. We have been lent one, but I think I will buy one when this is over. You can do so many more things when you have access to electricity. Some solar panels to charge batteries might be a cheaper option.

13. An old telephone is essential. The cordless versions we have come to love do not work when the electricity goes off, even if the telephone lines are still working.

Middle East Stirred (5) - Next Big Event

Daniel described the significant event that follows the Stirring of the Middle East.

For the king of the North will muster another army, larger than the first; and after several years, he will advance with a huge army fully equipped (Dan 11:13).

The United States will invade another Middle Eastern country (see Invaded Again). This happens several years later, which suggests that the United States will not invade Libya.

The next invasion is organised after some violent people in Israel take foolhardy and unsuccessful actions that cause outrage throughout the world (Dan 11:14). The invading army will be established in Israel (beautiful land) to restore order and peace (see Rebellion in Israel).
These events do not end the struggle between the king of the North and the king of the South. Daniel 11 describes further battles between the King of the North and the King of the South (vv. 13, 25, 29, 40). The United States will invade the Middle East several times. Some of these invasions will pass through Israel causing that nation to be "trampled by the gentiles" (Luke 21:24).

These events are not signs of the second coming. They are just birth pangs marking the beginning of the Time of Distress.

Middle East Stirred (4) - Outcome

Daniel notes two outcomes from these demonstrations.

First, many people will be called killed.

but tens of thousands will fall (Dan 11:12).

President Ben Ali in Tunisia and President Murabak walked away in the face of the pressure. Many other political leaders will not give up that easily, but will fight furiously to hold onto their power and privilege. Gadhafi has taken this option in Libya. Thousands of people will die in Libya before the current struggle ends.

Second, demonstrations will not produce prosperity. Many people will die in these struggles. In some situations, tribal-based disputes will emerge.

tens of thousands will fall and he will not prosper (Dan 11:12).

A very literal translation says that “he will not get fat”. Getting fat means prosperity. A major motivation for the demonstrators had been unemployment and rising food prices. Shortages of food are increasing all over the world. A change in government will not produce more food or create new jobs. Democratic government does not automatically produce prosperity. Many of the protesters will be disappointed by the outcome. Many situations will end with the military in control.

The word for “fat” can also be translated as “prevail” or “succeed”. Daniel suggests that the King of the South will not succeed. The peoples of the Middle East will be stirred up, but they "will not prevail". Despite the current troubles, the United States will continue dominate the Middle East and North Africa.

Finally, Iran will be strengthened. Iraq is Iran’s most serious enemy The destruction of Iraq and the installation of a more sympathetic Shiite government has remove an obstacle to its expansion. The Prince of Persia (Iran) will be stirred up allowing Iran to re-emerge as the most important player in the Middle East (see Resurgence of Iran).

Middle East Stirred (3) - Massive Demonstrations

Daniel explains that the insurgency against the United States in Iraq would be followed by an even greater stirring up of the Middle East. Daniel 11:12 is quite difficult to interpret. A more literal translation follows:

The King of the South will stir up a great multitude and a great multitude will be given into his hand. As this multitude is raised up, their heart will heart will be lifted high, but tens of thousands will fall and he will not prosper.

The Hebrew word translated "multitude" means "roar, crowd or tumult". It speaks of a tumultuous and noisy crowd. Words are doubled in Hebrew for emphasis. The word multitude is used twice to emphasise the size of the crowds. Daniel saw an immense crowd or tumult.

The phrase “given into his hand” could refer to a defeat in battle, but more likely means “placed under his command”. This massive noisy crowd will be controlled by the King of the South (we must remember that the King of the South is a spiritual force and not a human ruler). An alternative translation suggests that he will “cause a great multitude to stand”.

The reference to their “heart being lifted high” could refer to pride or arrogance. In this context, it means to courage. When these huge crowds gather together, people who have been passive for decades will be stirred to a new courage. Bold resistance against security forces will boost their pride.

The first few months of 2011 were marked a gigantic stirring right across the Middle East and North Africa. It began in Tunisia, where the government was forced to resign. From there, the stirring spread to Egypt where huge crowds of young people protested in Cairo for two weeks, forcing President Murabak to resign from the position he had held for thirty years. Since then huge demonstrations have taken place in the cities of Algeria, Yemen, Jordan, Libya and Bahrain. A tumultuous crowd has been “caused to stand” and protest against their rulers.

Bahrain is interesting because the majority of the population is Shiite, but is ruled by a Sunni King. This small country in the Persian Gulf is now the home of the American sixth fleet, but it was once a province of Iran. The Iranians would like their province back. If a democratic government was elected, a Shiite majority government might be more sympathetic to Iran than American economic and political interests. The United States might be tempted to back a minority monarchy in order retain control of a key military base.

In Libya, hundreds of demonstrators were shot in the struggle. The Gadhafi forces initially lost control of much of the county, but are now fighting back. The political struggle has morphed into a civil war.

In some of the countries where the people have demonstrated, the rulers are American puppets, propped up because they maintain the stability needed for global business to prosper. Some of the kings belong to dynasties put in place by the British at the end of the First World War. These demonstrations are a reaction against the King of the North (currently manifesting through the United States).

The people of the Middle East have been made bitter by their treatment by the Western powers. In the months ahead, the entire Middle East could be stirred up. Saudi Arabia is particularly vulnerable, as its rulers are old conservative Sunnis, while the population is young and radical. A large, oppressed Shiite lives and works among the Saudi oilfields, but have received any of economic benefits.

Middle East Stirred (2) - Iraq War

When George Bush the King of the North invaded Iraq with his little helpers in 2003 (described in Dan 11:10), they were not just attacking a third rate Middle Eastern nation, but was taking on the enormous spiritual forces of the King of the South (he is a spiritual entity). The King of the South did not just roll over, but struck back hard. The people of the United States were surprised by the ferocity of these spiritual forces and lack the spiritual strength to resist (see United States invades Iraq).

Daniel describes the consequences of the United States invasion of Iraq.

The king of the South will be enraged and go forth and fight with the king of the North (Dan 11:11).

The invasion of Iraq caused the King of the South to stir up resistance against the United States forces. This part of the prophecy was fulfilled by the insurgency that erupted in Iraq after the Ba’athist government collapsed. Conquering Iraq was relatively easy, but maintaining control proved to be extremely difficult. The concentration of American forces in Iraq made them vulnerable to terrorist attack, leading to large-scale losses. A variety of Islamic groups emerged to fight against the United States in Iraq in fulfilment of this prophecy.

The Shiite Iraqis were stirred up first. In April 2004, a militia controlled by Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr took control of the holy Shiite city of Najaf and fortified themselves in the centre of the city near the Iman Ali Shrine. This led to the widespread insurgency in southern Iraq.

Sunni Moslems were stirred up when the United States forces Al Fallujah and killed several unarmed demonstrators. A year later, Sunni forces were able to re-claim the city, before being ousted by a siege and two re-invasions by US forces. These events stirred up opposition throughout the Sunni regions of Iraq and the insurgency.

Iraq was well and truly stirred up by the invasion. It is still being destroyed by violence, despite democratic elections.

Middle East Stirred (1)

Recent events in the Middle East have been amazing. The spread of “people power” from country to country was totally unexpected. No commentators expected that powerful political leaders would resign in the face of mass demonstrations.

I searched the prophetic lists to see if any of the prophets had prophesied these dramatic events, but they seemed to be totally silent. A few have linked events in Egypt with Isaiah 19, but none seemed to understood what is happening.

When I did a Google search, I was surprised to be reminded that five years ago, I had written an article called “Middle East Stirred". In the first version of the article, I wrote.

The presence of the United States in Iraq might also stir up the rest of the Middle East, leading to a collapse of the current order. The monarchs controlling Jordan, Saudi Arabia and other Gulf States being overthrown. The entire Middle East might become unstable and unsettled. Saudi Arabia is particularly vulnerable, as the King is old and the people are radical....

Unfortunately, I did not fully understand what I had written. I assumed that Daniel’s warning of the Middle Eastern being stirred was mostly fulfilled by the insurgency in Iraq. This was misguided. It is now clear that Daniel’s warning has a much broader fulfilment. I am currently rewriting the article to make it clearer and will post it over the next few days.

Rigid Foundations

Modern houses in Christchurch are built on concrete slab called a “floating foundation”. This slab acts a floor and supports the walls and roof. The timber framing on most houses has coped with the earthquake well. The big problem is that the concrete slabs of many larger houses have broken in two and drifted apart, sometimes leaving two or three inch gap. This is almost impossible to repair.

Most of the experts are saying that the problem is with the land on which the houses are built. I am wondering if there is a problem is the basic design.

The design of high-rise building has changed significantly in recent years. Older buildings with rigid structures do not cope well with earthquakes. The new approach is building structures that are flexible. A building that can move and flex when an earthquake hits does not collapse. This approach has worked really well with high-rise buildings.

Despite this knowledge, we are persisting in building our houses on rigid foundations. The timber framing flexes when an earthquake hits and does not fall. Even brick walls seem to flex a bit. Unfortunately, the rigid foundation does not flex, so it breaks in half under the stress of an earthquake. The larger the house, the greater problem seems to be.

The best solution may be to design concrete foundations that are less rigid. Maybe the concrete foundation for our houses should be built in smaller sections, with flexible joints between the sections that would not break under the stress of the earthquake.

I wonder if any of the experts are thinking about this solution.

Yippee

At 4 pm, we turned on the tap and we had running water.

Then about fifteen minutes later, the electricity came on. And with electricity access to the internet.

The light looks good after 15 days without electricity.

Bedside Lamps

We now have bedside lamps. They have to be put out into the sun to charge during the day.

Great stuff made in China.

Hot Shower

We can now have a hot shower. It takes a few minutes to heat the water on our gas stove (butane). The warm water is poured into a plastic container that can be hung on a hook. The holes drilled in the container lid act as a shower head. Lovely!

Robert Godley

Robert Godley led the first group of English settlers who arrived in Christchurch in 1850. During the earthquake his statue in the centre of the city toppled to the ground. It looks as if he is having his nose rubbed in the dirt.

In a way that is what has happened. In 1848, when revolution was spreading across the cities of Europe, he had a vision for a establishing a base in the antipodes from which the influence of the Kingdom of God could spread out into the rest of the world. (More here) He fulfilled his calling and planted the city of Christchurch. Sadly, his vision for Christchurch has been forgotten, even among Christians.

The mayor is keen to lift Robert Godley’s statue back onto its plinth. I am keener for the Christians in Christchurch to lift up their eyes from their narrow and limited church visions and re-capture the vision for the Kingdom of God.

Let Christchurch become a place that is ready to receive the Kingdom, and work with the Holy Spirit to spread the influence of the Kingdom throughout the earth.

Solar Lights

Solar lights are really handy. We bought a few solar-powered garden lights to brighten up our driveway back in January. They cost less than a dollar each. We now put them outside during the day, and bring the top piece in at night. Each one gives out as much light as a candle, but is much safer. Very handy when you have not electricity.

The first photo shows them charging in the garden. The other shows the top of the light upside down on our kitchen bench.

Voluntary Assistance

The earthquake has brought a huge flow of generosity and caring. The numbers of voluntary groups providing assistance have been astounding.

Yesterday morning as we drove home after filling our large container of water, we saw a group of people cooking breakfast on a street corner. We stopped to see them and they gave us sausages and eggs to eat. They were a church group, who had come in from outside of the city to bless those in need. The girl that I spoke with had flown down from Hamilton in the North Island with five others to assist for a week.

Soon after we got home, another group of volunteers called round to distribute boxes of groceries that have donated. We got muesli, noodles, bottled water, chocolate biscuits, fresh fruit, cans of fruit, baby wipes (really handy when water is short), sanitizers and gloves.

The day before, a lady called in with some jam and biscuits she had prepared.

Last weekend, hot meals were brought into the local park by helicopter and delivered round the streets while still warm. They had all been cooked by volunteers. They were handing out bottled water as well.

The next day the army was handing out meals from that had been prepared by volunteers to people who turned up at the water tanks. They handed out shortbread as well.

Several thousand students have carted silt out of thousands of homes and back yards. This is backbreaking dirty work, but it was all done for free.

If you leave bottles by your mailbox, people driving around with tanks on trailers will fill them with water.

Some people have brought in crates of bread and left it on a street corner for people to help themselves. Others have gone door to door deliver bread and water.

People’s response is interesting too. Some people are still complaining about the lack of help. Others grab everything that is going, even if they do not need it. However, most are just really grateful and are blessed that people care about their plight.

I am also surprised at the number of people who refuse help. Some have slogged away on their carting silt, because they are unwilling to pick up a phone and ask for the students to help.

I have been really impressed with the level of generosity and willingness to get on and do something.

Electricity

Electricity has been restored to 95% of houses in Christchurch, but we are in the 5% still without electricity after twelve days (and no running water or sewerage). I feel honoured to be in this select group, because I presume they decided that the people living in our neighbourhood are tough enough to cope for a few more days.

The street next to ours has had electricity restored, so it is getting close. The lines company says that 99 percent of households will have their electricity restored by Monday evening. A couple more days is neither here nor there.

The construction companies have now started restoring streets. The photos show the arterial route that our street comes off. The first is the the street just after the earthquake. It is starting to look much better. Our street still has some huge judder bars. They are also beginning to remove some of the humps and holes. The last photo shows the effect.

Future of Christchurch (2) - Networks

In my previous post, I talked about a center-less city. This aligns with the kingdom of God model for business structures.

Corporate structures will change dramatically in the Kingdom Economy. Large conglomerates will be less viable, because the risks of investing in them will be too high without limited liability laws. Growth for the sake of growth will not be a viable business model. Most big corporations will be replaced by a several smaller businesses cooperating to achieve the same purpose.

The benefit of the big corporate model is the ability to control huge resources and complex processes. This is the devil’s method. He works through manipulation and control.

Cooperation will be more important than control in the Kingdom of God. Jesus spreads authority around and relies on the Holy Spirit to coordinate numerous people to achieve a common purpose.

As big businesses wither away, control and ownership will be replaced with cooperation and contracts. For example, a business that operates large, complicated, resource-intensive processes will not be able to bring every aspect of these processes under its control, as the risks would be too large. Instead of owning and controlling every aspect of the production process, they will manage them through contracts with many suppliers and service providers. Their role will change from controlling everything to coordinating the overall process and managing relationships with a network of supporting businesses.

The modern economy is dominated by highly-visible big businesses. In the Kingdom Economy, businesses will be so small and numerous as to be almost invisible.. The authoritarian managers with the big egos that control many big corporations will be redundant. They will be replaced by managers who can manage cooperation with many other businesses. Smaller businesses will be the norm in the Kingdom economy.

The Future of Christchurch

The politicians, town planners and guardians of heritage buildings are on the radio and television discussing the future of Christchurch. Their views can be summed up in the following statement. “We must decide what kind of Christchurch we want.” What they are really saying is that they want to decide what kind of Christchurch we want.

What they do not realise is that the shape of a city is not decided by the politicians and planners, but by the people and businesses of a city. As they make millions of decisions, the future city will be formed.

People will decide, if they want to live in Christchurch, or move away. I am staying, because this is where I am called, but many will move away. Homeowners will decide what to do with their homes.

The owners of destroyed buildings will decide what to do with them in (conjunction with their insurance companies).

Businesses will decide if they want to stay in Christchurch. Many will decide to leave the Central Business District (CBD). Lock-downs during a crisis make it a risky place to do business. In the past businesses needed to be concentrated in the centre to ease communications. With modern transport and communications, there is very little to be gained from being based in the CBD I suspect that most manufactures and many office-based businesses will decide to re-establish in locations where they are not surrounded by risky buildings and risks of costly shutdowns. Some will go to the suburbs temporarily, but decide they like it there.

Christchurch people decided long ago that they prefer shopping in suburban malls, so they are unlikely to go back to the central city for shopping now. Many retailers will leave the CBD and take their businesses to where the people want to be.

Christchurch may become a centre-less city. More and more business activity may be pushed back out to the edges and suburbs, but be joined together by communications networks. This may be a better model for a modern city.

The hierarchical-control model has everything clustered at the centre. A more Christian model is decentralised but joined together in networks. If the Holy Spirit is at the centre, that is enough..

There is one important ingredient that the politicians and planners have left out of their discussions. God has a purpose for Christchurch. Men like Robert Godley who were involved in the planning of and founding of the city came here in response to a God’s calling to advance the Kingdom of God. They believed that they were establishing something specific for him. That vision still stands and will in the end carry more weight than the speculations of the politicians and planners.