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WHEN THE LIGHTS GO OUT – Part 1
Donald L. Phillips Ph.D.
On Super Bowl Sunday I joined others at Live Heart Church to
watch the Super Bowl game. Ruthanne isn’t a football fan so she stayed
home. Before the game started I saw a
preview of the half-time show and could see that it would be glorifying sex
etc. I told everyone that if Ruthanne knew what the half-time show was about
she would pray for a power outage.
There was a power outage, but not during the half-time show,
It came afterwards. People asked me to
call Ruthanne to pray that the lights would go back on so they could finish the
game. We all had a good laugh and after over 30 minutes the lights did come back on.
The next day as I was praying, the Holy Spirit impressed me
that He wanted to use the light outage as a prophetic message to His followers
and the world.
As I pray for the nation and the world, I experience two
different emotions: (1) I feel deep sorrow and sadness for the way the world is
falling farther and farther away from a loving God. (2) I also feel great faith
and confidence that God has everything under control and He will fulfill His
promise to pour out His Spirit on all flesh in these last days and many will be
swept into the Kingdom of God.
I pray God’s grace and mercy will be extended to a world
that is rapidly turning its back on Him and is facing impending judgment. As I prayed the Holy Spirit led me to Jeremiah 13: 14-15
“Then I said, listen for the Lord has
spoken. Listen carefully and give heed,
do not be proud and haughty: don’t stay stuck in your ways! It’s God’s message we are dealing with here.
Let your lives glow bright before God and give Him glory, before He
turns out the lights, before you trip and fall on the dark mountain paths.
The light you always took for granted will go out and the world will turn
black. Give glory to the Lord your God, before He brings darkness and before
you stumble, and while you are hoping for the light He makes it into darkness,
and turns it into gloom.
If you people won’t
listen, I will go off by myself and weep over you. I will
weep because of your stubborn arrogance and pride. Bitter tears will flow
from my eyes, because God’s sheep will be taken captive and end up in
exile. (Emphasis mine)
As I pray for our nation and the world, I feel a deep
stirring in my spirit that we are on the verge of world-wide crisis that will
usher in the last great revival. I feel
God is giving me an assignment along with others, to live out the Kingdom of
God life-style and encourage other followers of Christ to do the same. May we let the light of Jesus Christ shine
brightly in us and through us as the world gets darker
.
Matthew 4: 16 “The people who sat in darkness have seen a
great light. And for those who lived in the land where death casts its shadow,
A LIGHT HAS SHINED!”
“Healing Broken Lives
and Relationships”
