Matthew chapter 24 outlines the signs of His coming. It says nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom. You may brush this off because it has ‘always been that way’. But be assured that we are closer than you think!

This week in the news, North Korea says it is getting ready to use a nuclear bomb. They warned us that we better watch out! Other news this week talked about military action which is likely against Iran from Israel in a preemptive strike. There are war rattlings all over the world!

In Revelation chapter 6, one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse was given power to take away peace and prosperity.

Kingdom against kingdom is bad enough, but our country is at war with itself – we are divided and polarized in this country. A nation divided will not stand.

When, not if, the economy collapses and entitlements are gone, there will be war (rioting) in our streets in this country. People will not just accept the fact that their income is suddenly dried up.

Even now, there are people killing each other every day, there are wars and rumors of wars, famines, pestilences, plagues and disease, earthquakes around the globe, and weather that is extreme – we are breaking high and low records almost on a daily basis.

There are so many things pointing to His soon return!

Let’s not be desensitized to the signs of His coming!

Matt. 24:6-8 “And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.”

God loves you! He really does!

Humility is something that never gets enough “press time” in my opinion.  As important as it is, we hear very little about being humble, and the difference between a humble heart and a proud one. Remember that God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble!  (James 4:6) That should be motivation enough to check your heart frequently!  The following chart helps to identify heart attitudes that may need adjustment.

“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.” Psalm 51:17

Rev 16:8-9 The Message
The fourth angel poured his bowl on the sun: Fire blazed from the sun and scorched men and women. Burned and blistered, they cursed God’s Name, the God behind these disasters. They refused to repent, refused to honor God.

I grew up in Muskegon, Michigan. Not too far from there, the city of Grand Rapids and a close neighboring city, Holland, Michigan experienced horrific fires on the same night, October 8, 1871. Across Lake Michigan from those two cities, another city literally burned to the ground in one of the greatest fire disasters ever recorded in history. It took place in Peshtigo, Wisconsin on October 8, 1871 and claimed more than 1,200 lives. Does that date ring a bell? It should. It’s the night of the fire that received the most news coverage simply because it occurred in a large metropolitan area, the famous Chicago fire – the one they blamed on Mrs. O’Leary’s cow.

Solar storms are certainly not new and have occurred throughout the history of the world. In fact, I believe that’s what happened on October 8, 1871. We are learning more what the Bible says about them and we are also increasing in natural knowledge about these storms.

The scriptures are very clear; we are going to have solar storms as the time of His coming draws near.

Luke 21:25-28 “There will be signs in the sun, moon, and stars. On earth, nations will be afraid and confused because of the roar and fury of the sea. People will be so afraid they will faint, wondering what is happening to the world, because the powers of the heavens will be shaken. THEN people will see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to happen, look up and hold your heads high, because the time when God will free you is near!”

NASA warned recently: “Earth and space are about to come into contact in a way that’s new to human history”. They went on to say “The sun is waking up from a deep slumber, and in the next few years we expect to see much higher levels of solar activity. Power grids, GPS navigation, air travel, financial services and emergency radio communications can all be knocked out by intense solar activity”.

Fox News makes these statements: “Modern power grids are so interconnected that a big space storm – the type expected to occur about once a century – could cause a cascade of failures that would sweep across the United States, cutting power to 130 million people or more in this country alone. Impacts would be felt on interdependent infrastructures with, for example, potable water distribution affected within several hours; perishable foods and medications lost in 12-24 hours; immediate or eventual loss of heating/air conditioning; sewage disposal, phone service, transportation, fuel resupply and so on. Outages could take months to fix, the researchers say. Banks might close, and trade with other countries might halt. Emergency services would be strained, and command and control might be lost. Whether it is terrestrial catastrophes or extreme space weather incidents, the results can be devastation to modern societies that depend in a myriad of ways on advanced technological systems.”

As the time of His coming draws nearer, we should not be afraid of the things which may occur because He has us firmly in His care. But we certainly should be prepared in our hearts, and in the natural as much as possible for any catastrophic event.

This title may sound like an apocalyptic message and it may well be – in more ways than one. For today, we will focus on the message dying to self. It’s time for the Church to understand that being the Church is not always about prosperity, your gifts and callings, or even your church and its ‘vision’ except that they edify or build up the entire Body of Christ. It’s time for the Church to understand what being the Church means.

Years ago, when I came out of prison, I began to warn people of the dangers of falling in love with money. And today I’m finding there is even more that needs to die within religion and the religious hearts of those within the church. I’m not calling for anybody to do anything that I’m not willing to do myself, so this message has come to me first and now I use whatever means I have been given to share it with you.

It’s time for the foolishness of building kingdoms unto men or climbing the church’s social ladder to cease. It’s time for lifting up Jesus and Him alone. It’s time to put away the minor things, and take up the major things. It’s time to eat the meat and be weaned of milk. It’s time to understand the seriousness of the hour. It’s time to grow up in Jesus.

A full-grown, mature Church is one that unites herself in one accord in the ministry of the saints and in the ministry unto the Lord. Self is not just laid aside, it is put away, it doesn’t exist and can’t. Self melts away into the greater good of the Body. It is without individual identity except that we know one another by our love. The spiritual recognize each other by their love for the greater good of the Body, not the manifestation of the personhood of an individual.

Have you ever experienced the kind of love that is irresistible? Irresistible love is a term many have thrown around without a lot of depth. But the kind of love the Lord has for His Bride, manifests itself differently than anything we can produce in our ‘self’. The Lord’s love is irresistible. The Lord’s love covers, heals and restores and melts away our ‘self’. When you encounter the Lord’s love, you will die to ‘self’ quickly and without resistance because it is absolutely irresistible. You are a part of His Body and you will recognize others by their love!

John 13: 34-35″A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

More to come…….

I believe the Church should be on the cutting edge. When you think about what that statement really means, it means to be razor-sharp and out front. The sharp edge is what goes first and cuts through obstructions so you can get to the vital target.

Sometimes the cutting edge is in revelatory teaching and preaching which we believe in doing here at Morningside. But more often the cutting edge is in action – you have to DO SOMETHING to complete the process! Faith without works is dead!

I have often said that we (the Church) should not be the victim in the end times. We know from the scriptures and from the signs we see in the earth and in the heavens that catastrophic things will occur and are occurring every day. We have the Word of God that illuminates (shines the light on) these things.

So, because we know what is coming, we should be proactive! The government should not be taking care of us – we should take care of each other! Pastors of local churches cannot take care of all the people. It will be too much for one man. You ALL will need to help one another! That is the definition of the Church being the Church.

Jesus said “you will know them by their love” for one another. Loving one another means doing the best we can to not only profess our faith, but to take action to first prepare, and then to protect and provide for the family of God. And not only should we take care of one another, but we should be able to give to others. I learned many years ago that you will never be able to minister to a person’s spirit until their hungry bodies are fed.

Jesus said the end of the age is the Harvest Time. When you think about the awesome plan of God to bring many people into the Kingdom at the end of the age, you have to marvel that we, as the Church, are entrusted to execute much of that plan. I don’t know about you, but that’s an awesome privilege and an even greater responsibility. One that requires a very sharp edge – a cutting edge.

Yesterday I stood and looked in wide-eyed amazement at the beauty of my oldest daughter, Maricela, who is getting married in August. She was standing in the bridal shop with her beautiful white wedding gown and veil, modeling for me and her sisters. She was astonishing – she truly took my breath away. Just for a moment, I remembered the day I saw her when she was 18 months old at the top of a stairway, filthy from head to toe. My first thought was to run and get her so that she didn’t fall head-first down those stairs! You see, nobody was caring for this child.

That’s the way it is in the ghetto. Almost from birth, you’re on your own except maybe for an older sibling’s attempt to do what they can to feed and clothe the younger ones. At four years old, my son, Ricky (now 13), cared for his little sister, Jenny who was 2 years old, the best he could. He stole food for her and hid it to have something to give her to eat later. He found a place underneath a porch to hide her from the rain and storms. You see, in the ghetto, all that matters is the drugs and the next high or fix. The children are a nuisance until they are old enough to contribute to the lifestyle – that is, in some useful way.

So, tiny Maricela had stood at the top of the stairs that day in complete abandonment. She was alone to fend for herself at 18 months old! Hungry, filthy and in danger!

What a total contrast she was today in her beautiful white wedding gown, glowing in the peace of her life in Christ, preparing for her Bridegroom!

My heart was so full of love and thanksgiving to the Lord for this beautiful child, now grown up into a lovely and happy woman, soon-to-be the wife of the absolute most wonderful man in the entire world for her! I was overcome with gratitude to the Lord for the opportunity to raise her, love her, and see her married to a Godly man.

Isaiah 61:1-3
The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.

Only God can give beauty for ashes! Only God can take the circumstances of a little girl’s life and change them so dramatically for her good!

Jim and I are so very thankful that God trusted us with Maricela. We are humbled that He gave her to us for a reason (her well-being), a season (until she is given to her husband) and a lifetime (always to be our daughter!).

We are busy getting Morningside ready for more people! As most of you know, I’m all about preparation. Many years ago, God called me as a watchman through the prophetic word. Today, more than ever before, I am about my Father’s business preparing a people and a place… with a passion! Morningside represents a new day dawning for the Church and new hope.

A form of the Greek word for “quickly” (tachos) is used eight times in Revelation (1:1; 2:16; 3:11; 11:14; 22:6, 7, 12, 20). As I have been teaching in my Thursday night series “Revelation”, things are happening very quickly in the world we live in and things are happening quickly here at Morningside! In fact, Jesus says He will do a quick work in the last days. Whether it is helping to put a Master’s Commission student through a year of college, helping Bill Ballenger, our International Youth Director, reach teens in his crusades or distributing food to the local community here in the Blue Eye/Branson area, we are about our Father’s business.

This year at Morningside, cabins are being built, new apartments and condos are now available, Mr. Crawford is busy making plans for the RV park, the waterfall is being built near the entrance to Morningside, and many other exciting things are happening including a new hair salon on Grace Street and a soon-coming fitness center! We have recently fully equipped our game room, we are building a shuffleboard court, the kids are loving the volleyball court down by the tabernacle, and the picnic pavilion is ready to host the summer’s activities. The Grace Street theatre is also being readied to show Christian films every evening.

The Morningside community is expanding and Morningside Church is growing!

Has anyone ever heard this old saying? It’s fairly common among the ‘full-gospel’ or ‘spirit-filled’ denominations. It means, in essence, that some people are so consumed with high and lofty spiritual behaviors and ideals that they can’t come down to earth long enough to take care of necessary practical matters.

Do you remember in Acts 1 where in verse 11 the angel of the Lord asked, “Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? It is referring to one focusing just on going to heaven instead of doing the work of heaven. It is saying why are you looking for heaven to come when there is work to be done? It does not ridicule spiritualism, in fact, the opposite. We must work until Jesus comes, but too many have the cart before the horse. Too many sit on the pews of churches week after week and never do anything for the sake of Christ’s Kingdom. They are led to believe that because they have stated that they are believers, and maybe they do mentally accept that Jesus is the Son of God, and have done all that the Bible claims, but never live their faith, believing that they are saved.

Faith is the tool of God by which we carry out what we believe. Faith without works is dead! People are not being taught the right way to worship God, and prepare for the coming events. We need to stir people up with the love of Jesus that they will share His love with a lost world. Jesus said, “I must work the works of Him that sent Me, while it is day: the night cometh when no man can work.”

I found out long ago that you will never be able to minister to anybody’s spirit until you have fed their hungry stomachs. If they need clothes, you need to clothe them. If they need a bed, you need to help them find one!

Most believe that work is something that can be overlooked. If Jesus said, “HE MUST WORK,” then I believe that we must as well. Is a servant greater than his master? Not many mind saying, “I must be born again,” thinking once born again, God cannot deny them. Born again means to become spiritually born making one spiritual. And if you are truly spiritual, you are not satisfied with only your own salvation. You take seriously the great commission to “go ye into all the world and make disciples”. That commission requires more than just spirituality, it requires work.

On a recent show, my brother, Mark Graham, was reading the news headlines of tumultuous world events to our listening audience when he made a very profound ad-lib statement. He said “it’s frightening for some – encouraging for others.”

Isn’t it true? The times we are living in are frightening for those that don’t know Jesus. But for those who know Him, they are anticipating His return with great joy! Mark spoke from his heart, a heart that knows Him and delights in his soon-coming King!

Be comforted in the knowledge that the Lord reigns even in the midst of all the turmoil in this world. Be joyful that we know, by all these things which are happening around us, that He is soon to return and we will be with Him forever!

For the Christian, this is the good news! As Jim likes to say “the good news is the bad news is the good news”. In light of the events in the world recently, that statement is so true!

Luke 21:25 “And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; 26Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. 27And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.”

“My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John 14:27

“I trust in You, O Lord…. My times are in Your hand.” Psalm 31:14-15

For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. 2 Tim 1:7

“And I heard … the voice of a great multitude… saying “Alleluia! For the Lord god Omnipotent reigns! Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.’” Revelation 19:6-7