Recently I concluded my first draft of a book that will be released in 2024 entitled, Heaven Stormed. In that book I will explain the Storm that I beheld in Heaven, and what it means. But the beginning of this book includes the parts of my story that I witnessed during my life reviews with Jesus. Life reviews are a common phenomenon most Christian afterlife survivors have experienced, and they are intended by God to elucidate the meanings behind our life story.
When considering the impending Storm from Heaven, each of us must consider our own life, and how our life events either contribute to God’s plans, or to our own personal growth. Even the times we have failed serve as opportunities to grow in our faith, or wither away in some futile effort to justify ourselves.
But now we are living in the last days, and what we do is critically important to God, and to our eternal future. A spiritual storm is on the horizon, and no longer will the faint-hearted believers be able to withstand the pressure. On the flip side, greater rewards lie in store for those who remain grounded in Christ.
God tells us a lot about what the coming days will unfold, and He does not want us to be afraid, but encouraged. Through the Storm will arise the greatest restoration in all of history. And you will be protected.
GOD promised the prophet Zechariah that in the last days, he would be a protective wall of fire around his people: “For I, saith the Lord, will be unto her a wall of fire round about…” (Zechariah 2:5).
Likewise, Isaiah testifies: “For thou has been a…shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall” (Isaiah 25:4). “There shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the daytime from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and for a covert from storm and from rain” (Isaiah 4:6).
These promises are meant to comfort us before the storm – because all the prophets warn of a great storm coming in the final days, which will beat against God’s wall of protection with ferocity.
Indeed, Jesus says this coming storm will be so frightful and overwhelming, people’s hearts will fail them as they see it developing (see Luke 21:26). Now, if Jesus says this storm is going to be ferocious, we can know it will be an awesome moment in history. Yet, the Bible assures us God never sends judgment on anyone without first revealing to his prophets what he plans to do: “Surely the Lord will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets” (Amos 3:7). This is a wonderful expression of our Lord’s great love for his people. And if you study the biblical prophets’ writings carefully, you will find that God acts this way consistently. Just prior to an impending storm of judgment, He always commands his prophets to warn the people to return to him: “I have also spoken by the prophets, and I have multiplied visions, and…by the ministry of the prophets” (Hosea 12:10).
God is also faithful to speak in times of prosperity, just before the fury of his judgment strikes. While the storm clouds are still gathering, he raises up prophetic voices all over the land. And, according to scripture, whenever a sinful nation was prosperous and at peace, God told his prophets to warn that the good times soon would end: “…the Lord hath cried by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and in prosperity…” (Zechariah 7:7).
At times God made his message so emphatic that he instructed his spokesmen to issue foreboding warnings: “Therefore have I hewed them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of my mouth…” (Hosea 6:5). In other words: “The word I bring will be so clear, it will convict your heart if you are open. It will cause you to fall on your face and repent!”
Consider that God’s only purpose in lovingly calling us back to Himself is to protect us in such times of storm. Yet often in biblical history, when he gave these warnings, the people refused to listen: “He sent prophets to them, to bring them again unto the Lord; and they testified against them: but they would not give ear” (2 Chronicles 24:19). Almost always, God’s people ignored these warnings or grew weary of them. This was especially true if a prophet cried out about a coming storm over a period of years, even though the people continued to be at peace and living in prosperity. Over time, the people simply tuned out the prophet’s voice. They became complacent about the prophet’s warnings.
We see this in the Israelites’ response to the prophet Isaiah. They told him: “…Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits” (Isaiah 30:10).
Does this remind you of some people who only hear what they want to hear? These people knew Isaiah was telling the truth – that a great storm was coming – but they grew tired hearing about it. They preferred to hear “smooth things.” And the Hebrew word for “smooth” here means “pleasant, unperturbed.” They were telling Isaiah, in other words: “Don’t preach anything to us that will make us uncomfortable.”
This very condition has found its way into the Christian church today. Believers tune into the nightly news only to think that things are ‘fine’ in their own life – if the troubles are far away, they don’t really matter to me. After a while, their minds become desensitized by all the terrible news, and their hearts basically tune it out. To them, if it isn’t at their doorstep, then it’s not of concern.
I often wonder: Have we become so self-assured that we have lost our assurance in Christ? We have already heard of every type of bad news known to humankind. What could possibly wake us up to the reality of what is to come because things cannot get any worse?
Beloved of Jesus, God does not tolerate complacency. We see this in the warnings of the prophet Ezekiel. At the time Ezekiel prophesied, Israel was prosperous and at peace with the surrounding nations. Yet the Lord told Ezekiel to give the people this message: “I will lay the land most desolate, and the pomp of her strength shall cease; and the mountain of Israel shall be desolate…because of all their abominations which they have committed” (Ezekiel 33:28-29).
The prophet went throughout the land, preaching God’s warnings over several years. But the people grew weary of listening to him. After all, over the years not one of Ezekiel’s words had come to pass. On the contrary, the nation only grew more prosperous.
Eventually, Ezekiel’s prophecies became a source of amusement for the people. They began calling him names behind his back – names we might use today like: “Doomsday preacher,” “Buzz killer.” Finally, Ezekiel finally got fed up and said, “Lord, you’ve deceived me. Nothing you told me has come to pass. And now everyone’s mocking me!”
“…(Israel is) saying, “Come, I pray you, and hear what is the word that cometh forth from the Lord. And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they shew much love, but their heart goeth after covetousness…they hear thy words, but they do them not. And when this cometh to pass, (lo, it will come,) then shall they know that a prophet hath been among them” (Ezekiel 33:30-33).
Now let’s get personal: Have you come to the place where you’ve basically thought, I’ve heard it all, and nothing can surprise me. I have basically tuned out. If so, get ready for a wake-up call. God does not want you to miss the Storm, because part of the Storm will be to wake-up the proverbial slumbering people of the world, and to many the Storm will bring a blessing.
Yes, the Storm will bring disaster, but it will be preceded with an outpouring of the Holy Spirit throughout the world. We have already witnessed revivals at Asbury University and other places throughout the world, and we have not seen anything yet! God wants to save the lost before it is too late. But we must wake up first.
Most churchgoers today soundly reject all prophetic warnings of a coming storm. Indeed, the American church today is moreover a seeker friendly church which does not want to scare church attendees away. But, like Israel, the church today is experiencing the calm before the storm. God wants evangelists and not pew warmers. He wants spiritual soldiers and not flesh-driven pacifists.
While Moses spent forty days on the mountaintop, Israel indulged in a spirit of lawlessness. The people wanted to play and relax, so they abandoned all godliness. You remember the result: It ended in a drunken, naked orgy around a golden calf.
Sadly, many Christians cannot be distinguished from non-Christians, having adopted the social morals of today. Just consider that almost every social media entertainment comes with an “R” or an “X” rating, without being designated as such. I recently checked into a hotel that hosted a Christian conference the week before my arrival. The person at the desk told me that their adult channel viewership almost doubled during that conference. Many of our leaders profess to be believers but ignore the signs saying something like, “Daddy wants to lavish us with gifts, and He just wants us to indulge ourselves. Prosperity in this world should be the focus.”
Please know that I believe Christians should be the most joyful people on the planet, but our joy should not be because of the world; rather, our joy stems from the condition of our heart in Christ being heavenly-minded. That is why we present so many Heaven stories, to showcase the life we should and can be living. We also show real-life cases of people dying and visiting hell, to hopefully convince people that the choice between Jesus Christ and the world could not be more diametrically opposed and consequential to our eternity.
The world today could not be more contrasted against Heaven. And sadly, the church has somewhat assimilated to the culture. One Christian magazine openly criticized a Christ-professing Christian politician while condoning the actions of past presidents who were known philanderers. For the first time in the recent history of the United Kingdom those who profess Christianity as their faith are in the minority, and the United States is close behind. Some churches are more like social clubs than “Book of Acts” integrated bodies seeking after God.
I visited one church that did not want the speakers to mention sin or “Christ’s blood” because it might be offensive. I was told by one leader that I should not mention hell, and that Heaven was “OK” only if I did not mention the exclusivity of Jesus. I passed on that opportunity.
Now, if churches are trying to be “non-offensive,” then imagine how the secular world is responding? Today, many social circles and government institutions are insisting that gender fluidity be the norm, and that equity be the goal even if it means marginalizing certain groups. Grade school children are being taught in some places that they can choose their gender, including mutilating surgery.
You may find it hard to imagine the Israelites dancing naked around a golden calf, but how many idols are sacred in our society today? How quickly would we forsake our Christian gatherings in favor of social pressures? I think the answer arose when churches closed their doors during the Covid lockdowns. It seems like nothing lies beyond the realm of possibility today. Indeed, the Bible says a time is coming when God’s people will no longer blush. And right now, our “blush” is pretty much gone – because we’ve seen and heard so much already. It will only get worse, but the good news is that for the Christian, this is not our world – Heaven is our home, and we are just sojourners.
You may ask – why are so many being deceived today? Why is there so little discernment in the church? Why do the most bizarre, worldly beliefs attract so many followers? I believe the answer lies in a prophecy form Amos:
“Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord” (Amos 8:11). Notice, this verse doesn’t say there will be a famine of preaching. The fact is, God would never hold back his warnings from his church – because only his truth can set us free. That’s why he sends his prophets, teachers and evangelists to speak truth to us.
No, Amos’ prophecy is not about all the watered-down preaching we hear today; it isn’t saying there will be a shortage of truth. Rather, what the church today is experiencing is a famine of hearing the truth. There is an unwillingness to hear the true word of God. Instead, people are closing their eyes and ears, hardening their hearts, and saying, “I don’t want to hear any more – just tell me the good stuff.”
Well, I have some good stuff for you, and some hard stuff too. First the good stuff – revival has struck the world and soon the Greater Glory of God prophesied in Haggai 2:9 is forthcoming, and it will be lit across the world like a spiritual wildfire. This means that miracles will happen routinely; but they will not happen in conventional circles. They will happen in radically sold-out churches, workplaces, home groups, public squares, and even in schools. The Holy Spirit will fall on people like a thick blanket on a cold day, filling souls with “liquid” fire that comforts, inspires, and does not burn.
On the flip side, the Storm will bring the advent of judgment on the world. Powers will fall, and evil powers will rise. The United States of America will turn around only if the church of Christ wakes-up and makes their voices heard in the public square. If not, the USA will become a fallen power. God is waiting for nations to rise and declare Jesus Christ as the answer. Christians must no longer be silent spectators, and churches can no longer remain silent about the social and moral failings of our age, like abortions, which number 200,000 a day in the USA and 73 million induced abortions worldwide each year. For those who stand for Christ, they will rejoice. For those who do not, they will become like the fallen empires of ‘ole’ until death seals their fate.
2 Chronicles 7:14 must be our guide: “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” There is hope amid the storm – and that only hope is Jesus Christ.
We are living in the last days. A storm is on the horizon, and the preceding calm is now. The church must wake-up. Christ’s children must wake-up. The Light of Christ must burn brightly in exposing the darkness of this world.
If you are a faithful follower of Jesus Christ, the GREAT NEWS is that Heaven is in your future. But we have work to do now. On that glorious day that you stand before Jesus, you want to hear these words: “Well done good and faithful servant,” as Jesus motions you to partake of paradise in Heaven. For now, we need to be the fire that ignites revival. You are the chosen generation. Get to work!