morningstar prophetic bulletin-2008 by rick joyner

7/30/2019 MorningStar Prophetic Bulletin-2008 by Rick Joyner

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MorningStar Prophetic Bulletins - 2008

http:/ / www .mo rningstarministries.org

582

Even so, change is good, and we need it often. When a living thing stops changing, it has stopped

growing and has started the process of dying. Change is a word for our time, and change is coming,

but before we proceed much further, we need to ask some important questions, such as:

1. What do we want to change?2. How should the changes be made?

3. How do we prepare for these changes?

Christians should be the most powerful agents of change in the world. When the Lord said that His

church would be “ the light o f the world” (see Matthew 5:14), it was the commission to light the way.

Christians usually are the initiators of power trends in the world, but when they abdicate the

leadership to others, the results are bad. For example, almost every musical style was born in the

church, but was then seized by the world and used for more evil than good.

This is not always the case, but too often it is true that what is birthed in the church is seized by the

world and used for worldly rather than godly purposes. Change is coming, and both good and bad

people are trying to seize the reins of change and define it. If we are going to be the light of the world

in our times, we must seize the moment and not abdicate our authority. When the Lord took His new

world and gave it to Adam to cultivate, He intended to have man’s input into the develop-ment of this

world. We still have that commission. We are abdicating our basic commission from the Lord when we

disengage from the process.

Coming Changes

To be a prophetic voice in our times, we must understand the times. The Lord severely rebuked those

who did not understand the times. The more we understand them, the more we can be used in them.

Presidential campaigns have a way of bringing many things to light in both the government and the

people, and therefore we would do well to understand both the issues and the people engaged in

them.

Again, almost everyone has seized the word “change,” but there are some things in our gov-ernment

that we do not want to change without careful, deliberate planning. Of course, this includes such

things as the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. It was great wisdom on the part of the founding

fathers to make these very difficult to change, which has helped bring the stability that our liberty,

strength, and prosperity have been built upon. It was also the wisdom of the founding fathers not to

make it impossible to change these because if they were too rigid they would have to be completely

broken to bring necessary changes. They only wanted changing them to be difficult so that these

basic pillars of our government would not be subject to whims, temporary trends, and fads, but flexible

enough to be changed when and to the degree needed.

The constitution of the church, the Bible, is even more remarkable in the way that it gives basic

definition and direction but allows for necessary flexibility. Wise church leaders will always be open to

necessary changes, but at the same time know not to just give in to random, whimsical changes.

Change needs direction, purpose, and focus or we will not like the result of it. So, let’s now be a little

more specific.

What Must Change?

Constitutional democracy is the most remark-able government on earth. It has a lot of room to

maneuver, adapt to the times and conditions, seize new opportunities, or to meet new emergencies,while standing on a foundation that does not move much, which gives stability for change. Even so,





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change of any type can have major, unforeseen consequences. In our history, we have many cases

when change was implemented too fast or in an unwise way, which brought great and unnecessary

troubles. Because of this, many thought that the changes were wrong, but they were right; they were

just managed poorly. It is not just a matter of what needs to be changed, but how.

Now for the sobering news: The U.S. is facing a major crisis in the economy, and major changes are

necessary. Without bold changes in some areas, our great ship of state will soon suffer shipwreck. If

we make these changes in an unwise way, we will still suffer shipwreck and maybe even a worse one.

We are in need of the wisest leadership since the Civil War. It is that serious. The present elections

are the most important since 1860.

The Alarm

It is now being widely acknowledged that we are probably headed for an election year recession. If

this could be avoided, it would be. This has only happened four times in U.S. history, and every time

there has been a change of the party in control. It has always been avoided if at all possible. If this

happens, and it appears very likely, it is because the problems are so serious they are too big to fix or

delay. Economically, it feels like we are on the Titanic, entering a sea full of icebergs. The captain is

starting to address the situation, and most of those vying for his job, the presidency, are also picking

up on the situation. However, there has not yet been an indication from anyone that they really know

how serious it is, much less have answers for it.

There is a general perception that the U.S. economy is so strong that it could never collapse, but that

is a terrible presumption. Overall, the U.S. economy is probably the most stable and strongest

economy in the world, but it is still capable of hit-ting an iceberg and sinking to the bottom faster than

most would believe. Every other economy in the world is even more fragile.

The Symptoms

A crisis can reveal many things that can otherwise be hidden, and in some ways will quickly illuminate

our true nature. When we were engaged in the Hurricane Katrina relief, we learned a lot about the

present state of our government and its people. We saw the best and the worst in people. We saw the

best and worst in our government. The scariest part was to see how every level of government was

paralyzed until the military was brought in. Many gave far more attention to blame-shifting than to

solving critical emergency situations. As is almost always the case, the ones doing the most blaming

were the ones the most guilty of mismanagement.

Even though the federal government did the best in this situation, it, too, was brought to its knees

quickly by this disaster, which should not have happened. Many still think that most of the problems inthe relief efforts after Katrina were the result of FEMA being so poorly run; however, FEMA was

poorly run because it was run like our government.

The most basic management of our government is so flawed that in a crisis, which demands major

and decisive action, it has proven unable to cope. This is probably true in almost every government

agency, on every level. This is highlighted in a crisis, but the day-to-day management of our

government is an ongoing tragedy of waste in massive, incomprehensible proportions. We have a

very basic management problem that no one is addressing, apparently because they do not see it.

A foundational belief of many political conservatives is that the government cannot manage anything

well, so as much as possible the management of everything should be left in the hands of the privatesector. They may not disagree with the liberal intentions as much as they do the means—trusting the





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government to manage anything well. However, there is another solution. There is no reason why the

government cannot be managed much better than it is. In fact, just implementing some good, basic

management principles into government could reduce costs by 35 percent, while increasing

government services and effectiveness by 35 percent. This would just be a start, and it could actually

be much better.

It may sound like the culture of inefficiency in government is so deeply entrenched now that it is not

possible to change it, which is probably one reason why no one is addressing this. These are false

assumptions. Most government bureaucrats do work hard and want to do a good job, but in many

ways the government is like a car that may have 300-hp and is using all of it, but it is stuck in the sand

and therefore is not going anywhere. A lot of work is being put out—it is just not accomplish-ing much

or nearly as much as it should be.

True Leadership

In government, we also have some basic judgment issues. Presumption leads to bad judgment. In the

case of the Titanic, even if it had been unsinkable, to hit an iceberg would have caused serious

damage and potential injury or loss of life to many. Captain Smith had been given numerous warnings

about the ice field he was headed into, but seemed more concerned with breaking the record to New

York than the basic safety of his passengers and crew. He did not even give his watchmen

binoculars, which they had asked for. Had they been supplied with them, they would have almost

certainly avoided the iceberg that sent them to the bottom of the sea.

How could a captain be so irresponsible? One thing explains it—pride. Captain Smith was made the

skipper of the Titanic because he had never had an accident at sea. This obviously made him

presumptuous, which leads to carelessness. This seemingly likable, wise, noble, old gentleman

caused the death of many because of his pride.

There are many people in America who will vote for a candidate because they are likeable, rather

than for the substance of their character, what they stand for, or their true leadership potential.

Presently, if one has made mistakes in the past, it is trumpeted as a basic disqualification from

leadership. What we really need is someone who is honest and humble enough to admit their

mistakes, while having learned from them.

The Apostle Paul talked about how he learned it was better to boast in his weakness than in his

strengths, because God’s strength was made perfect in weakness. This is because, as we are told

repeatedly in Scripture, God gives His grace to the humble, and He resists the proud (see J ames 4:6).

The whole world is sailing into the most dangerous waters we have ever sailed in, and we need

leaders who are wise enough to be humble and seek God’s grace because we can sink without Hishelp.

The White Star Line would likely have done much better to have chosen a captain for the Titanic who

had made a few mistakes and learned from them. In the U.S., the sub-prime credit crisis was an

iceberg that the U.S. economy hit and we have been quite severely damaged by it, taking on water.

There are other icebergs all around us now, and we have actually hit a number of other ones, too. We

do not need to be going full speed ahead at this time. A slowing of the economy is actually a good

and very healthy thing, at least temporarily. People will start appreciating and doing better at their

jobs. Productivity goes up, and the damage gets fixed quickly, so we can move ahead again with a bit

more wisdom. We also need to make a major course change to get out of this ice field.





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The U.S. economy could have been sunk by the sub-prime crisis. The damage is being addressed,

quite wisely, but it is still very serious. We need continued strong, decisive action, and we will need it

from the next President because we will not be out of this situation when the change of administration

comes. However, some of the proposals that are being made for the economy would be the

equivalent of setting off a bomb inside the ship. We are in desperate need of a President

who really understands the economy. There is terrible danger if our leadership does not act or

overreacts. To push change in the wrong direction will greatly exacerbate the problem. So what must

we do?

Answer #1

We need to admit that there is a problem. There are times when some emergencies can be fixed

without calling for general quarters and disturbing everyone with the problem. This is not one of them.

When people feel that there is something very wrong, but no one is admitting it, they lose their faith

and peace. Illuminating a problem can give more faith to leadership and their proposed solutions. This

is the time to shine the light on some basic problems so they can be fixed.

In truth, the U.S. is facing the worst economic emergency since the Depression. This is the biggest

and potentially most devastating emergency we will face in the immediate future. It is becoming the

biggest issue in the presidential elections, and rightly so. It is where some of the most dramatic

changes are needed. However, it is also where the wrong changes will be even more destructive. We

need to ask three basic questions:

1. What is happening?

2. What is not happening?

3. What can we do about it?

What is happening is “a perfect storm” of conditions that are coming together, combining to produce

the most potentially devastating eco-nomic storm we have faced in the last seventy-five years. These

conditions are:

1. The sub-prime credit crisis

2. Rising energy prices

3. The falling dollar

4. Rising deficits

5. A growing payout for entitlements

6. Increasing weakness and instability in the economic infrastructure

7. Increasing fear, which shuts down initiative

There are other factors too, but these are the big ones. These are all starting to feed on the others

and increase. We are in the beginning stages of what a pilot would call “a death spiral” from which it is

very hard to recover. That’s the bad news, but there is good news.

The good news is that these problems are coming to light, and therefore are much more likely to be

addressed and fixed. If they are addressed correctly, the U.S. economy can be greatly strengthened

for decades to come. This can and should result in the lifting up of the entire world economy. This will

compute to a much greater stability and peace in the world as well as the ability to address serious

problems being faced by developing nations.

The enemies of America and the West are as weary of conflict as America is. There is a great desirefor peace in the world right now, and we need peace. This does not mean that we should lay down





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our arms or compromise with evil, but peace really is possible. War is the worst judgment of all on

humanity, and peace is one of the greatest blessings. The Lord said that He would bless the

peacemakers (see Matthew 5:9), and as Christians, we are commanded to seek to be at peace, even

with our enemies. We are told in J ames 3:18 that“ …the seed whose fruit is righ teousness is sown

in peace by those who make peace. There is an open door right now for relative peace in the world

for the next decade. If we use this time wisely, it can be extended. However, we have an emergency

that we need to address a bit further.

Fix America’s Economy – Save the World

This will sound very egotistical to most non-Americans, but it is true in a number of ways. The world

economy is not totally dependent on the U.S. economy, but as the saying goes, “If America sneezes,

the world catches a cold.” The U.S. economy is presently the linchpin economy. If we go down, the

rest of the world might survive, but not very easily. However, this is not the only way that saving the

U.S. economy could help save the world economy. The problems that are currently being illuminated

in our economy are found woven throughout the world economy. It will only be a matter of time before

everyone will be facing them. If we are back on solid ground, then we will be able to help many

others.

So how do we fix all of this? First, we need some drastic changes. We must quit flailing at the

branches and put the ax to the root of the tree on some ultimate problems. However, if we make

some changes too fast, they can create even bigger problems. That is the tightrope that will require

supernatural wisdom to walk.

One issue that is causing the increasing instability in the economic infrastructure is the constant

changing of the rules. Those who have been subject to such whimsical changes caused by those in

government who are trying to micromanage the economy, which they do not understand, are

definitely cringing when they hear the word “change.” To them, it is like playing a game and just when

you think you’re winning, the rules get changed and suddenly the most brilliant strategy you had for

winning has caused you to lose. So, even though drastic change is needed, it must be done carefully,

and in many areas, gradually.

The real driving force of the U.S. economy is small business. They are also the ones who can be the

biggest victims of government mismanagement of the economy. However, if they see wise,

knowledgeable leadership at the top, and the rules are changed to what is right and effective, it will

give enough hope to substantially boost the economy. Our economy, and indeed most of the world’s

economies, are built to a large degree on hope.

Again, some drastic changes are needed, but they need to be managed and made slowly enough forthose engaged to plan their own changes in order to adapt to the new rules of the game. But what

should the new rules be? Basically, it should mean fewer rules. How does that apply? The biggest

factor that undermined FEMA’s ability to cope with the problems created by Hurricane Katrina was the

layers of regulations imposed on the FEMA workers. You could see them being tied in knots trying to

figure out what they could and could not do.

The biggest tragedies were caused by overregulation. One such example was when a fuel truck driver

delivering fuel to emergency crews in Slidell drove off without delivering the fuel because they did not

have FEMA approved receptacles! The mayor of Slidell had to order his emergency workers to go to

the airport and drain fuel from airplanes to use in their emergency vehicles. Lives may have been lost

because of this, and having to use avgas in emergency vehicles eventually burned up their engines.





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Of course, there are many more such horror stories in that crisis, which received a lot of publicity, but

there are such incidents happening daily because of basic mismanagement in our government.

A Needed Regulat ion

As a pilot, we were drilled continually on emergencies because during an actual emergency there is

usually no time to get out the manual and read about the problem. There are also some emergencies

that arise that are unique and no checklists have been made for them. For those, being

knowledgeable enough of your plane and other conditions is needed to improvise. If you panic, you

will likely die. You must make sound decisions quickly. To facilitate this, the FAA established a very

wise rule that basically states that in an emergency you can break any other rule needed in order to

meet that emergency. An explanation as to why the rules were broken may be needed, but you are

free to break any if you think it will help during the crisis. That rule should be fundamental in just about

every agency when an emergency is declared. Save people first—then worry about the rules.

Currently, the great crisis in the country is this very thing—too many rules! We must free the economy

of many unnecessary and often counter-productive regulations. A true simplification of the tax code

would bear huge dividends, releasing huge resources, energy, and time now devoted to record-

keeping and tax planning, not to mention just understanding the taxes.

Think about how much better everyone would begin to feel with this. Life, liberty, and the pursuit of

happiness were basic rights expressed in our Declaration of Independence, and this would certainly

go a long way to making us happier! Of course, paying less in taxes would make us even happier,

and giving significant tax breaks to every-one would be a real possibility if we address the one

problem of overregulation.

It would be difficult to find hard figures on this presently, but overregulation is probably reducing

efficiency in the economy by at least 35 percent, and it could well be as high as 65 percent. J ust

reducing regulations to those that are really needed would strengthen and stir healthy growth in our

economy more than any other single factor. It sounds too simple and too good to be true, but it is true.

Why are none of the presidential candidates talking about this? Because most of them are lawyers

whose craft is basically responsible for this mess we are now in. This is not intended to be an attack

on lawyers, but it will be hard for a lawyer to even see this—seeing it is just the beginning of what it

will take to solve it.

To confront and overcome this basic shackle on our country will not only take heroic courage, resolve,

and focus, but it will cut across the grain of basic legal training and practice. That is why it will be hard

for lawyers to see this problem and much harder to fight the fight that it will take to resolve it. We mustleave room for the grace of God. Remember, it was Paul the Apostle, the “Pharisee of Pharisees,” the

most legalistic of his generation, who, once converted, became the greatest champion of grace.

However, to date, not a single lawyer campaigning for President has given any indication that they

even see the problem, much less have the ability to deal with it.

Love Your Lawyer

Again, this is not intended to be an attack on lawyers, but we should get them out of government, at

least for a while. Indeed, the modern world could not function without them, but their influence has

gone to an extreme that must be reined in. It is rare to meet a lawyer who does not think they

understand business and the economy, and it is rare to find one who really does. A lawyer’seducation and training is basically contrary to a real understanding of business.





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Even if this were not generally the case, the U.S. government and economy have been tied in knots

by overregulation, the result of a legalistic mentality that responds to problems with rules rather than

with leadership or good management. For this reason, the last thing we need is a lawyer in the White

House, and we need most of them run out of Congress for a while, too. We need a basic change in

the mentality of the leadership from a legal, regulation-oriented rule maker, to a true leader and a

good manager.

One good example of this crushing legal mentality is the recent U.S. budget submitted by Congress. It

was 3,200 pages! Congress only had a couple of days to consider it before passing it. Who had time

to read what was in it? Probably the only ones who will read it now are lobbyists who want to get their

pork out of the barrel. You can be quite sure that the budget presented to Congress could have been

10 percent that size, just as most laws and contracts could be without losing any real content.

The language of the lawyer, legalese, is the language of Babylon, which means “confusion.” It is a

crushing weight on our government, our economy, and our people. That is why we need a President

who is a leader and a liberator—not a lawyer! We need to be reticent to vote for any lawyer for any

office for some time. I say “reticent” because there are always exceptions. However, not many

Pharisees became like Paul, and many who were converted caused many problems in the church that

we continue to battle to this day because of their legalistic mentality. This is why the Lord warned His

disciples to “ beware of the leaven of the Pharisees” (see Matthew 16:6). It is a creeping

contamination that is very hard to get out of the bread once it is in.

Can the leaven of legalism that is choking the U.S. government and economy ever be removed? We

know that all things are possible with God, but it will take God’s help. This is beyond human remedy,

but it is also a crisis that, if not solved, will choke out the strength and life of America.

I have had contracts presented to me that were over twenty-five pages for simple real estate

transactions. When I refused to sign them if they could not be reduced to four pages or less, they

claimed it could not be done, but then they did it. When I asked if any important terms had been left

out, they said no. Why do lawyers write twenty-five pages when they could write four? Maybe it

started because they get paid by the hour, but it has gone beyond that. There is a legal mentality

rooted in paranoia, an exaggerated fear of lawsuits, which they themselves created. It has our country

tied down like the fictional character, Gulliver. No other country in the world has the amount of lawyers

per capita as the U.S. or is even close. America will die from being either starved or choked to death

by this problem if it is not addressed soon.

Another Swing of the Ax

Here’s another big one rooted in the same problem—tort reform would fix the major problems withhealth care almost immediately, and many other basic and devastating problems hindering our

economy. Why is no one addressing this? Lawyers have been quick to put yokes on everyone else

but themselves, and they are the ones who need the biggest shackle at this time.

In America, 35 percent or more is included in the cost of many big ticket items just for liability

insurance. The cost of malpractice insurance is not only a huge part of our health care bill, but it is

driving many good doctors from practice because they cannot pay the premiums for this insurance.

This is already cutting deeply into the future of health care as well. Many young and gifted people who

would love to become doctors are not going to risk twelve years of college and training for a

profession in which every day they would face the pressure of knowing that just one mistake could





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result in a lawsuit, costing them their insurance, their ability to practice as doctors, and ultimately

ending their careers. This pressure itself has probably caused many needless mistakes.

Another terrible result of this is the fact that, because of the threat of lawsuits, doctors cannot even

admit their mistakes, which means others cannot learn from them, causing countless others to be atrisk or suffer. This system is broken and must be fixed, but the remedies now being proposed—

having the government manage health care, is shockingly naïve and foolish. That is like trying to cure

diabetes by injecting the patient with cancer.

It is true that the huge judgments against major companies, such as the pharmaceuticals, have

probably saved many lives, making them much more cautious in developing and manufacturing their

products. However, it has also meant that every one of us, because of the liability insurance, is paying

double or more of what we otherwise would for these products, and pricing them far beyond the ability

of some who need them to be able to get them. J ust capping the liability, and then gradually reducing

it to what is reasonable, would immediately allow the insurance companies to be able to more

accurately forecast their actual exposure and begin greatly reducing premiums for insurance. We also

need to provide a system that rewards doctors and health care workers for admitting their mistakes

which does not condemn them. There should be penalties for carelessness and a revoking of a

license for habitual or repeated violations, but not the kind of condemnation they are now faced with

for a single mistake.

The U.S. does, at this time, with all of its flaws, have the best health care in the world. Even so, we

are at the point of a meltdown and it must be addressed. However, a government-run, nationalized

health care system would be a tragedy for health care and the economy. As someone said, “If you

think health care is expensive now, just wait until it’s free!” We could also expect a quick reduction in

the quality of health care if the government takes it over. However, there are answers that could

correct the major problems, which could actually make it possible for the greatest health care in the

world to be available to every citizen and legal guest in our country.

Again, the government has, in general, proven to be the most ineffective, inefficient manager of

almost anything. It has been said that Winston Churchill stated, “If you’re not a liberal when you’re 20,

you have no heart. If you’re not a conservative when you’re 40, you have no mind!” The intention of

liberals is often very noble. It is the solutions they propose that are so devastating. Leo Tolstoy

addressed this in his classic novel, War and Peace. In this novel, Count Pierre was a bleeding heart

liberal contending for the plight of the serfs. He sincerely cared about them, but was such a poor

manager that his own serfs were far worse off than Prince Andrei’s. Prince Andrei, who was a

conservative, was a good man and cared about people, but was not driven as much by com-passion

as just good business sense, and because of this, his workers were far better off than Pierre’s. Who

would you rather work for?

Currently, we have government agencies that for every $100 in their budget only $10 will make it to

the need of the agency for which it was created. On a scale of efficiency, that would rate such an

agency as 10 percent efficient. This is common in government and even in some chari-ties that have

become like large bureaucracies in their administration. This is not acceptable. The job could and

should be done with no more than 15 percent being consumed in administration and 85 percent

making it to the need.

I do not consider the terrible inefficiency of government to be the fault of bureaucrats as much as the

terrible burden of regulations that most of them must now try to operate under. Most bureaucrats

would love to be able to do their job better and more efficiently, and many should be consideredheroes for getting as much done as they do in the frustrating conditions they now work under. Every





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time you drive over a bridge that does not fall down, or eat in a restaurant and do not get food

poisoning, we should be thankful for a bureaucrat who did their job. These are some of the greatest

servants in our nation, and we need to help them by setting them free.

Our government could get accomplish more at a fraction of what we are paying for it now. We couldeasily balance the budget of the U.S. government, while actually increasing the quality and quantity of

its services, including defense. Why hasn’t this been done? Why are none of the candidates talk-ing

about the real issues here—bad management and overregulation? Again, we cannot expect the

lawyers to see it, but the leaven of this legalism and using a new rule to confront every new problem

has blinded just about everyone in government, on any level.

If you take the waste out of the U.S. govern-ment and put this money back into the hands of the

people and businesses, no economy in the world could compete with the U.S. economy on any level,

unless they too learned to manage it right. One reason the Chinese economy is boom-ing is because

they do not have the lawsuit threats and all of the bondage that comes with these, yet they still have

layers of bureaucracy. If we had basic tort reform, coupled with freedom from the unnecessary and

counter-productive layers of regulation, there would be no competition for the U.S. economy in the

world.

Currently, a huge part of our GDP is going to waste. Waste is a sin, and according the Lord’s teaching

in the Parable of the Talents, it is a bad sin that will cause Him to call us a“wicked, lazy slave” (see

Matthew 25:26), casting us into outer darkness. Managing what we have been entrusted with is so

crucial that it has been estimated that up to one half of the teachings in Scripture on righteousness

are concening stewardship. Righ-teousness is basically doing things right.

I am not advocating this efficiency just so we can have more ourselves, but we could help raise the

standard of living for every developing nation on earth. We could institute an economic “Marshall

Plan” for developing nations that could raise the standard of living worldwide, and at the same time

actually strengthen our own economy by doing it. Contrary to what many think, the Marshall Plan was

not just aid or charity extended to World War II devastated Europe, but it was a mobilization of U.S.

companies to invest in Europe which paid off handsomely! This could be done in developing nations

in a way that would help stabilize and prosper them, while also benefiting our economy. Sure, some of

them would rise up and begin to compete with us, but competition is a healthy thing, and if we rein in

tort and excessive regula-tion, it will be a very long time before anyone could really compete with the

U.S.

Conclusion

Are the answers to these huge problems really that simple? Yes, basically they really are. Theanswers to our great problems in almost every area are very simple, and in fact the answer is

to simplify. J ust simplifying the tax code would be a huge boost. However, if we are not delivered from

the basic legalistic mentality, it will soon be overcomplicated again. That’s why we must stop flailing at

the branches of our major problems and put the ax to the root of the tree. Tort reform is an absolute

essential at this time. It is not the only thing, but it would clear the way for fixing most of the other

matters. We can help turn the tide by individually refusing to sign any contract that we cannot

understand, that is not written in plain English, and is the length it should be to state the agreement

clearly and succinctly. Lawyers want to write contracts in a language in which they are the only ones

who can understand because it is called “job security.” Well, their job security is starting to threaten

everyone else’s job, and it is time for us to take a stand and refuse to allow this to keep happening.





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It is crucial for the chief executives on federal, state, and local levels to be given line item veto power.

A huge amount of foolishness, waste, and very bad laws are passed by attaching them to essential

legislation that this would fix. Of course, those who would lose much of their power to corrupt and

waste will try to scare everyone into thinking that this gives too much power to the chief executive, but

that is the deception people have bought into, which has allowed the crisis of waste and inefficiency to

get to the level where it now is. It is a basic, obvious truth that chief executives do not have the power

of line item veto. To prove that line item veto can have major positive results, why not give them line

item veto power for just two years so we can see how it works? It will work so well that the whole

country will cry out to then make it permanent, but this trial basis takes the wind out of the arguments

against it.

Everyone is saying the system is broken, but to date no one is proposing ways to really fix it. I am just

touching on a few matters very superficially. There are other issues I will address if the response to

this Bulletin is something our readers care to hear more about.

You may wonder why I would write this in a Prophetic Bulletin, but almost all of these same issues are

strangling the life of the church as well. We must get free of this prevailing legalistic mentality, which

is actually a principality. The answer to legalism is not lawlessness, but in the next issue we will

address a root of the growing lawlessness, which the Scriptures make clear will be one of the ultimate

issues of our times.

Also, the church is called to be the light of the world. That means we should have the answers for the

world’s problems, the light for its darkness. In the Old Testament, the prophecies were

called “burdens” or “ the burden of the word of the Lord” (see Zechariah 9:1, 12:1). I have

personally felt an increasing burden about these matters to the degree that I had to share them. There

is a company of prophets being raised up in our times like Daniel and his friends, who will be found to

have many times more wisdom and understanding than anyone, in “ every matter of wisdom and

understanding about which the king consulted them” (see Daniel 1:20). Some of these willbecome government leaders like Daniel. It is their calling. Others will take their place as the head of

corporations, industries, the military, and in positions of authority, in order to give as much leadership

and stability as possible until the King Himself returns to set up His kingdom. The ones who know the

“all knowing One” should have far more knowledge in anything than anyone else. This is not a basis

for pride, but the result of a genuine devotion to truth, to love God, and to love our neighbors.

Source URL: http://www.morningstarministries.org/resources/prophetic-bulletins/2008/putting-ax-

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Change

Mo rningStar Prop he tic Bulletin No . 76 (2008)

Rick Joy ner

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The New American Standard Bible (NASB).

Change” has become the word for the hour in American politics. This is truly a time when major

changes are needed in our government. We do not want to overlook the greatness of our federal

government and all that it has accomplished. Furthermore, our federal government is the head of the

greatest country in the world, possibly in world history. Even so, because of the huge amount of laws,

regulations, and then counter regulations, it is now like a head that has grown far out of proportion to

the rest of the body, and the body can no longer carry its weight.

J ust as the head of a human body is only a small percentage of the whole body, and only consumes a

small amount of its energy, administration should rarely consume more than 15 percent of the mass

of any body, and often can be much less. However, we now have government agencies in which their

administration consumes 90 percent of the resources given to them. The growth of their

administration, caused by layer upon layer of regulation and overregulation, has been like a cancer

that only consumes without regard for the rest of the body. This cancer will eventually kill the rest of

the body, and this will happen to us soon if radical surgery is not done.

As we discussed in our last Bulletin, “Putting the Ax to the Root of the Tree,” if basic, sound

leadership and management principles were being implemented in government it could quickly be

reduced to half its size, while accomplishing twice as much. In a little more time, it could be several

times as effective as it is now, at a fraction of its present cost. That may sound too fantastic, but that

is because we have become conditioned to accept inefficient government.

THE BIGGEST ECONOMIC STIMULUS EVER

By just removing the overregulation from our federal government, it could become many times as

effective as it is now, while being a fraction of its size. Think about how our economy would be

stimulated if the huge resources now being wasted by the government were put back into the

economy. That alone could propel substantial growth for many years.

However, there would be an even more powerful benefit of bringing sound management principles to

government. Overregulation is now sapping the entire economy of its strength. J ust relieving this

burden would multiply American economic strength and productivity, while immediately solving some

major problems such as the healthcare crisis, social security, our dependence on foreign oil, as well

as greatly reduce our carbon footprint. What is the downside? There is a big one for what has become

a huge group within our nation—about three quarters of the lawyers would have to get a real job!

how much more could the costs be cut, by removing the need for doctors, nurses, and other

healthcare professionals who spend massive amounts of time trying to comply with meaningless

regulations and paperwork? Add tort reform to reduce the threat of continuous and outrageous

lawsuits, and the insurance premiums could be drastically cut. Liability insurance is now costing from

onethird to one-half of everything from treatments to medicines. The combination of these two things





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could cut the cost of healthcare in half, and the quality of the care would increase dramatically by

relieving the healthcare workers of the now unbearable burdens.

Liability insurance is as much as one-third of the cost of some big ticket items and is a large part of

the cost of everything we buy. Tort reform would reduce the cost of almost everything we buy by asubstantial margin, making American goods far more affordable here and abroad. With less taxes

being required by a smaller government, the strength of our whole economy would be multiplied,

having a basis for substantial and sustained growth to ensure that our economy would be the

strongest in the world for the next half century or longer.

What we are talking about is much more than just cutting the pork out of government spending—it is

true government reform. There is no reason why the government cannot be run as efficiently as any

business. J ust as a company has to answer to stockholders, the government should be answering to

the people about how efficiently it is handling our resources.

OTHER BENEFITS

You may be thinking that if we reduced the government to half its size or less, where would all of

these workers go? First, to implement this reduction would take some time, and the reduction could

probably be accomplished to a large extent with retirements from government service. However, even

if we could do this immediately, we have over twelve million illegal aliens finding work here so there

are obviously many jobs available. It is also good timing to do this because the economy in Mexico is

starting to get some real traction, and Mexico is expected to soon be a net importer of jobs.

Also, by being able to reduce the tax burden on American businesses (now one of the highest tax

rates in the world), many plants and factories that were moved overseas would start to come home. It

is also likely that many foreign, especially high tech companies, would start moving some of their

research and plants here. Except for the high tax burden on companies here, this is the best and

safest place in the world to do business.

Even so, we would need to import a serious number of guest workers, but it would provide the

opportunity to implement an efficient and legal system for doing this, which would also provide

healthcare coverage for them as well as have them pay their fair share of taxes, and so on. Since we

would not be in need of more taxes if our government was the proper size, a percentage of the taxes

collected by these legal guest workers could go toward helping to stimulate economic growth in their

home nations, therefore enabling them and us to be a major blessing to their home countries.

Of course, to make these kinds of changes would take the most extraordinary kind of leadership, but it

could and should be done as a moral cause. Waste, especially wasting people’s time, not to mentiontheir resources, is a tragic moral failure. It is stealing from the people.

CHANGE THE CAR, NOT JUST THE OIL

Cutting the size of the government and getting it off of the back of the people has been the

conservative platform, but this has not happened when conservatives are in office. Why? They have

tried to solve the problem of ineffective and inefficient government by cutting taxes, which will force a

cut in spending. However, the government has not cut spending, but continued to raise it, resulting in

multi-trillion dollar deficits. To do the job, it will take more than just cutting spending—it will take wise,

resourceful, unyielding, proactive leadership, and sound, practical management. Much more should

be said about this, but because this is a bulletin, and not a book, we must move on.





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Let us also keep in mind that there are many good people in government who hate the system they

are trapped in worse than anyone. Even many who may have calcified by being in such a system for

so long would come back to life at just the hope of being delivered from the yoke of overregulation.

Some of these bureaucrats should be considered heroes for accomplishing as much as they do in

such an environment. If they were set free from the yokes they now have to serve under,

In considering healthcare, how much more effective would the healthcare industry be, and their

productivity would soar. We do need government and some regulation, but if they are as they should

be, they will set people and business free, not tie them in knots.

Everyone claims to want efficiency and to cut out the waste in government, but it is much easier to

talk about change and promote a vision of it than it is to actually change things. Even though we may

want it, there is a strong resistance to change in almost every human being, even those who love to

call for change. In fact, the people who call the loudest for change can be the most resistant to it when

it comes. This is why the Pharisees, who were the most faithful in hoping for and expecting the

coming Messiah, resisted Him the most when He actually came. Because He did not come in the way

that they were expecting, and He was going to change things they did not want changed, they

resisted Him. This is what any leader who seeks to implement real and needed changes can expect,

but must resolve to overcome.

There can be an even greater resistance to change in institutions, which are often built upon layer

after layer of rules, traditions, and mindsets that will vehemently resist change. Therefore, it is

important that we understand the conditions and the type of leadership that can bring about true

change. It will not be easy to do this job, but we no longer have a choice. We either take the pill now

or start amputating limbs very soon.

In American politics, substantial change has almost always come as the result of conflict or crisis. This

is not necessary, but it is not likely to come any other way without truly extraordinary leadership.

Leadership is much more than just seeing what needs to be done, or even being able to come up with

a plan for getting it done. That is the fun part. Leadership that can bring substantial change to a

government or culture must have extraordinary courage, fortitude, focus, and resolve to persevere in

order to actually implement true change.

CATCHING THE THIEF

What we are addressing here is much more than reengineering government—it is establishing a new

culture in government. It is making waste immoral, because it is, whether it is wasted time or wasted

resources. This is biblical, as we read in Proverbs 18:9, “He also who is slack in his work is

brother to him who destroys.” Inefficiency is stealing from the people. Our government is stealingmore from us than all of the thieves in the nation combined.

Inefficiency, caused by overregulation, and the legalistic mentality that has bound the entire nation, is

destroying many times more in our economy every year than terrorists could ever hope to accomplish.

This inefficiency is actually a greater threat than terrorism because it is bleeding the country far more

than all of the terrorists’ attacks and the war in Iraq combined. We will not likely survive another

decade in our present condition. Without powerful, decisive leadership, we will fall into a recession

that, if needed corrections are not made, will ultimately lead to a depression, which will threaten the

very fabric of all that we are as a nation.

TRUTH OR SOUND BITES





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Too often those who may be the most articulate in projecting a vision are sadly lacking in the

characteristics that are required to actually get the job done. American television has conditioned us

to be responsive to hype and hyperbole, and less able to judge the true constitution of a person.

Talking and doing are entirely different matters. In a democracy, such superficial evaluation will

continue to produce superficial leadership.

There are different kinds of leadership. The qualities that can make a great peacetime leader, or even

one who will be a good leader through economic crisis, may make a poor wartime leader and vice

versa. One good thing about the long, grueling American campaigns for President is the depth of

scrutiny that it provides for those who would aspire to such an important office. However, the qualities

that can make one a good selfpromoting campaigner do not necessarily equate in proving one’s

ability to be a President with its extraordinary demands. Therefore, the process by which we choose

our leaders needs evaluation and reform as well. The kinds of leaders we really need at this time are

not likely to be drawn into the present process.

PAY A LITTLE NOW OR A LOT MORE LATER

As stated, needed changes still almost never come without crisis or conflict, which is usually the result

of poor, superficial leadership. British Prime Minister Chamberlain thought that he would appease

Hitler by giving him Czechoslovakia. When the German generals marched into that little nation and

saw its fortifications, they admitted that it was improbable that they could have ever taken it by force.

So, if Chamberlain had drawn the line there, it would have resulted in a conflict that would likely have

cost thousands of lives to stop Hitler. However, two years later Germany was so strong that the

conflict to stop him ended up costing tens of millions of lives.

If we do not pay with a little pain now, we will pay with much more pain later. It is easier to put out a

match than a forest fire. However, it is the present nature of our system to hide the little fires that are

destined to be big ones. Because of this, we constantly have to fight the big fires at a huge and

unnecessary cost. When Churchill was asked what they should call the war against the Nazis his

reply was, “The Unnecessary War.” The same is true of far too many of our present conflicts and

crises.

THERE IS A DITCH ON EITHER SIDE OF THE PATH OF LIFE

During a crisis there is also a much greater tendency to overreact, and overreaction can be more

damaging than the problems they are intended to correct. Our government is composed of many such

overreactions which are not only counter-productive to what they were supposed to accomplish, they

are threatening the health and welfare of the nation. Change can be good if they are the right changes

and implemented wisely. If they are not, we will end up in more trouble than we are in now.

Does all of this sound hard and complicated? It should because it is. Leadership is hard and often

very complicated. The decisions that can fix an immediate problem can have unforeseen

consequences over time that are devastating. Some of the economic policies being promoted by

some of the present presidential candidates may bring relief to people for a short time, but the long-

term consequences would be so devastating that they could very well bring the collapse of the whole

economy. Such shortsightedness can no longer be endured in our government leadership.

THE IMMEDIATE CRISIS

The American economy is fundamentally strong, but it is like the strength in the legs of someone whohas been carrying around an extra seventy-five pounds of weight—if the extra weight is lost that





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person will feel like they are walking on air. Our economy will soar for a long time to come if the

unnecessary weight of overregulation is removed from it. Even so, we must correct the problems with

wisdom—changing our diet so we do not get in that shape again.

The subprime credit crisis is the result of unhealthy practices that were allowed to grow like a cancer,and if not addressed now, they will threaten the whole body of our economy. At this writing, the fact

that the Republican candidates have failed to substantially address this crisis makes one think they do

not really see it, which is disconcerting. The Democratic candidates have at least addressed it, but

their proposals for dealing with it are such an overreaction that the cure in this case would be much

more deadly than the disease.

Clinton proposed placing a moratorium on foreclosures and freezing interest rates. Remember what

happened when Nixon tried to freeze prices to stop inflation? It caused even greater inflation and

interest rates soared to over 20 percent for a long time, causing some of the worst economic

struggles the nation had faced since the Depression. Freezing foreclosures and interest rates could

exacerbate the subprime crisis in many tragic ways that obviously have not been considered, or this

would have never been proposed as a solution.

We are in desperate need of proactive leadership that can make radical, decisive decisions, but the

actual changes that are made, how they are implemented, and the timing that they are made in are all

crucial. If the right changes are implemented the wrong way or with bad timing, they can be just as

devastating as the wrong changes. Let me give an illustration from flying that is applicable here.

A pilot is taught to never fly into a thunderhead because it contains the most violent weather known

on earth. However, a pilot can survive flying through a thunderstorm if he does not panic or overreact

to the turbulence in it. To do this, the pilot must keep the plane’s wings level and hold the course.

Inside of a thunderhead, a shaft of air is falling at five thousand feet per minute next to a shaft that is

rising that fast. This is what causes the turbulence. Turbulence can add as much stress to an airframe

as it can take. The plane must also be slowed down to what is called the “maneuvering speed.” This

speed is safely above the stall speed, but slow enough to reduce the stress levels on the airframe

caused by the turbulence. While holding the course in turbulence, the wings must stay level because

turning adds stress to an airframe. If the turbulence already has the pilot close to what the airframe

can take, turning can quickly exceed what it can take. So even if a course change is needed, it should

not be made until the plane is out of the storm.

How does this apply to the economy? We are in an economic thunderhead. There are forces moving

up right next to those moving down, and we have a lot of turbulence. The stress on the economy is

fast approaching about as much as it can take, and we do not want to add more to it by making

drastic course changes right now. We also need to slow it down to reduce the stress until we canbreak out into the clear again.

As I have been a pilot most of my life, the biggest thunderhead I have ever seen was only about ten

miles wide. If a plane penetrated a thunderhead and tried to turn around to get out of it, it would end

up being in the storm longer than it would take to just go straight. Also, as explained, the turning can

multiply the stress on the airframe with catastrophic consequences. Panic is what kills most pilots as

they frantically try to turn to get out of the storms when they should just slow down and hold their

course. Panic by leadership has caused a lot of damaging stress to our economy, such as Nixon’s

price freezing did.

As the true seriousness of the subprime meltdown has gripped the nation, the markets, thegovernment, and the Fed have all been prone to panic. The Fed’s reaction, by its record rate cut and





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the economic stimulus plan just passed by Congress, almost certainly did more damage than good.

The most basic strength of the economy is built on confidence, and these moves were rightly

interpreted as panic. That is why the markets and consumer confidence went down instead of up at

the news of them.

Recessions are a slow down, and slowing down is one of the things that is actually needed to make it

through this storm. Recessions are not fun, but they can be healthy for an economy if they are

managed right, which means to take advantage of them to fix some problems. Two of the biggest

problems addressed in recessions are that people start appreciating their jobs again, and people

return to a mentality that encourages them to save and live within their means.

Some would say that we need to encourage people to spend more to stimulate the economy, but that

is a very shortsighted solution and actually creates bigger problems that will have to be faced at some

point. To prolong facing what caused this crisis will enable serious problems to grow even more

serious. Encouraging people to spend beyond their means is what created the subprime credit crisis.

To the degree that our economy is built on that mentality, it is dangerously unhealthy. If we are in a

storm, a recession, why not make the most of it and get things back to a more healthy foundation?

What really caused the subprime crisis was greed on the part of the lenders and borrowers. People

wanted bigger or more expensive houses than they could really afford. Most probably figured that if

the lenders said they qualified for the loans, they could afford it. At the same time lenders, who only

make money by lending, fueled this by loaning more to people than they should have. The lenders

gave artificially low rates up front, which may have helped people to qualify who were “on the bubble,”

but when they raised the rates, the bubble burst, and people living on the edge went over the edge.

Such dangerous lending practices will help stimulate the economy in the short-term, but at some point

there will be a collapse, such as we are now experiencing.

Actions motivated by greed will ultimately result in pain, and we will not escape this one without some

pain. Pain in your body is a warning that something is wrong, so just getting rid of the pain should not

be our goal, rather fixing what is causing the pain. If we just take pain medicine without fixing the

problem, we could be allowing the problem to grow. That is what the proposed solutions to the

subprime crisis by Senator Clinton would do. It would alleviate some pain for some for a short time,

doing nothing to stop the growing crisis, but would delay confronting it until the problem is even

bigger. This is not just a bad idea, but a really, really bad one. This could be much more than just the

straw that breaks the camel’s back; it is like putting a telephone pole on the camel!

Senator Obama then came up with a proposal that was dumbfounding because it made so little

sense. He proposed a program where the government would give billions of dollars to people who

had bought houses beyond their means! Can you imagine that? The government would go toeveryone who bought a house that was too expensive and basically say, “I’m sorry someone made

you do that, so we’re going to pay for this house for you.” I think this would make everyone who was

responsible to live within their means sorry that they did not go out and buy a house beyond their

means! The way the government manages things, we could expect for every billion the government

spends bailing foolish people out of their follies, to likely cost the rest of the taxpayers many billions

more.

I really do not mean to be disrespectful to Senators Clinton and Obama, but these proposals are

shockingly immature, shallow, and foolish. The lenders and the borrowers are both to blame for the

subprime crisis, and it is not just to make the rest of the nation pay for their irresponsibility. That sends

the worst message we could ever send if we want to get responsibility back into government and theeconomy. That is bad, but what they are proposing would set us up for “the perfect storm” of





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conditions to release the most dangerous of all economic conditions—stagflation. Stagflation is a

stagnate economy with inflation. These proposals are shortsighted and dangerous. Because their

plans are now public knowledge, it is very likely that if Clinton or Obama gets elected, there will be

such a dumping of the dollar on world markets that it could actually cause the dollar to collapse.

For the Republican candidates to fail to address this problem is not the right answer either. We are in

desperate need of proactive leadership that really understands the economy and will not make

foolish, counterproductive, overreacting mistakes, but will be decisive and strong. We have never had

a President who seemed to really understand the depth of the economic issues. That’s right, never.

Presidents have done some things that helped, but basically we have survived because of the

strength of the free market. We have had some great leadership in industry and business that have

been able to navigate through the mistakes.

The office of the President is so powerful that just a little action from that position can have drastic,

far-reaching consequences. That is why the markets like the gridlock caused by having a President

from one party and a Congress controlled

by the other party—this reduces the ability of the President to take drastic action. However, we are at

a place where some very drastic action is needed, but it is so drastic that it must be done right and in

the right timing. A doctor may love his patients and want to only do the best for them, but if he is a bad

doctor, he can kill his patients. This may be unintentional, but the patient is still dead.

AN ECONOMIC HURRICANE KATRINA

We do have the winds increasing and the waves rising for what is the equivalent of an economic

Hurricane Katrina. If the typical Democratic solutions to such problems are implemented, it will be the

equivalent of the levee breaking. If the typical Republican solutions are used, it will be like the

equivalent of the FEMA meltdown. We need new, fresh, wise but proactive leadership. Things are bad

now, but they can get much worse, fast. This is a crisis that could quickly overwhelm the

government’s ability to deal with it. So what can we do?

First, do not put too much of your trust in the government to help in the crisis that is looming. Those

who have put too much of their trust in the government to take care of them are in danger of being

tragic victims again. Therefore, basic to being ready for the times is to have our trust in the Lord, to be

personally responsible and personally resourceful.

To many Christians, trusting in the Lord and being personally responsible seem mutually exclusive.

They are not. The Holy Spirit is called “ the Helper” (see John 14:26), not “the Doer.” Even when

God intervened in the most powerful ways in history and Scripture, He required some participation onman’s part. The wisdom that we need is beyond human wisdom, and the strength that we need is

beyond human strength. Even so, faith is not passive, but active. He will require us to do our part.

THE CRISIS OF LAWLESSNESS

Crisis reveals, and absolute crisis reveals absolutely. To understand some of the true conditions of

our country, we became vitally involved in the Hurricane Katrina disaster, and we did learn many

important things. One of the biggest was how entitlement programs will be the root cause of the

lawlessness that both J esus and the apostles prophesied would come upon the earth at the end of

this age.





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With the Hurricane Katrina disaster, it was very easy to tell who lived on entitlement programs or

welfare, and who worked for a living. Those who were the most obnoxious and demanding were

inevitably the ones who lived on welfare. This was not a matter of race, but simply whether they

worked for a living or not. The ones who were the most patient and the most inclined to help others,

even after they themselves had often just lost everything they had, sometimes even family members,

were inevitably those who worked for a living. Why did those who worked for a living tend to have

such a radically different perspective and demeanor from those who did not? The answer to this

question is one of the most important that we must understand or the consequences will threaten us

all.

When God created mankind, He created us first to be His companion, and second to cultivate the

garden—to work. Therefore, no human being will ever know peace or fulfillment without these basic

needs being met—loving God and accomplishing something meaningful. We have spent many years

addressing how we must love God, so we will move now to how crucial it is to have meaningful

employment. It is so important that even psychologists have determined that any person who is

deprived of meaningful labor will go insane. If they do not go insane, they will die. This may be why

people often pass away quickly after retiring from a job—even a job they didn’t like.

Even a bad job is better than no job. This is also a root of the insanity that rose up in New Orleans

after Katrina, which even caused people to start shooting at their rescuers. We have been tragically

set up for this kind of lawlessness to be released in the world by making people think they could trust

the government to fix every problem and meet all of their needs. Welfare is one of the worst forms of

bondage and oppression. It is a time bomb that is ticking, and events are about to start setting it off.

Hurricane Katrina was a warning that we need to learn from or the consequences will be more terrible

than we can imagine.

There are some people who really need charity to survive. As Christians, we should consider it a

great honor to help them, as the Lord said that as we did for the least of His little ones, we have doneit for Him (see Matthew 25:4). However, when someone does not need charity and they become

addicted to it, it forms a terrible and cruel yoke of bondage that can deprive them of even their most

basic dignity, as well as their sanity.

LOVE WORKS

After the Korean War, the South Korean economy was understandably devastated. Charity poured in

from Christian churches and missions, as well as from other charities. However, because of the

charity, the South Korean economy was not kicking into gear. Who wanted to make things to sell

when they could be had for free? In a bold move, the government asked for the charity to stop, and

immediately the South Korean economy came to life. It is now one of the most powerful andresourceful economies in the world. It is also noteworthy that during that time, one of the greatest

revivals in history came to South Korea, and some of the largest churches in the world grew.

Charity is an essential Christian devotion, but too much charity or implementing it unwisely can

actually hurt people. This is now happening in many third world nations that we have sincerely wanted

to help, but we are not helping them by just giving them money and resources. That is why when we

started our project to dig fresh water wells in Africa, we did not just dig them, but helped the African’s

dig them, and the result of this is seen in some real transformation. They have taken ownership of

those wells because they dug them.

Could this be why the Holy Spirit is called “ the Helper” and not “the Doer?” He does not come to takeover and do everything for us, but to help us do the will of God. The Lord could have created the earth





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perfect, not needing man’s cultivation, but He created man with the need to accomplish and create

things, because man was made in the image of the Creator. This is a basic and profound need of

mankind.

The rage and lawlessness that broke out after Hurricane Katrina was because of the fear that rose upin people who were living off of entitlements. Those folks were used to being taken care of by the

government and did not know how to take care of themselves. When the government was not there

for them, fear gripped them because they did not know what they were going to do, and then it turned

into rage at the government who had let them down.

Our people who served at our Katrina relief base were in the most terrible and dangerous of

conditions, and most of the people deeply appreciated it. I do not think we even received one thank

you from someone on welfare. Those who worked for a living would jump up to help when they saw

something that needed to be done. Those on welfare would be offended if we asked them to help do

something, even though they were very able-bodied. They just wanted to stew in their victim mentality

and demanded to be served. As far as I know, not one of them rose up to start serving others. One of

the quickest ways to get over grief or sorrow is to become engaged in something productive or help

someone else. Self-pity and bitterness kill us! As Dudley Hall once said, “Being bitter is like taking

poison and hoping someone else gets sick.”

The mismanagement during the Katrina crisis was not due to racism, but rather the kind of overall

mismanagement that is the present culture of government. FEMA could have been several times

more effective without the red tape they were tied up by. However, that is the state of the government

right now. Anyone who is trusting in the government to meet their needs, especially in a crisis, has

been set up for a terrible disappointment. When they discover how deceived they have been, they are

going to go from terror to anger, fast. So, how do we fix this problem? Very slowly.

SET THE CAPTIVES FREE AND THEY WILL SET US FREE

When someone is in prison for more than a couple of years, their “decision maker” gets broken

because they have had every decision made for them for so long. They cannot make even basic,

simple decisions without a terrible and painful struggle. I have watched someone who just got out of

prison shut down just trying to make the choice from a menu for his lunch. This is why so many who

get out of prison will purposely commit crimes—they know they will be caught. They want to get back

into prison where they feel secure because all decisions are made for them.

For those who “make it on the outside,” there is a struggle to regain a basic decisiveness that can

literally take as many years to recover as they have been in prison. Most on welfare are in this same

state. It does not matter who is to blame for this; the goal must be to help set them free.

For this same reason, we are in need of basic prison reform, which could radically reduce crime in this

country by cutting off the culture of crime. This would be far cheaper than what we are now spending

on prisons, insurance, and losses caused by the crime, but that is another subject. For now, let us

consider the tragic prison that welfare is. We need a long-term, step-by-step, compassionate, and

wise strategy for this. We also need to do this in a way that does not condemn the helpless who really

need the help.

I want to leave you with a truth that will be interpreted by some as stereotyping, but it is nevertheless

an important prophetic truth. The African-American community is in general the most industrious,

hard-working, and resourceful people group in our nation. Some will protest by elaborating on thepresent conditions, but like I said, this is a “prophetic truth.” It is the basic nature of this great people





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to be this. When the African-American community is truly set free, they will help set the rest of us free.

That is their calling and their destiny.

Why does it seem that as a community we see the opposite at this time? Because as a community

they still have not been freed from the yokes of slavery. If any other race of people had beensubjected to what African-Americans were and continue to be subjected to, it is not likely they would

be doing nearly as well. What do you think slavery did to the “work ethic?” When this great people are

truly free, they will be the most industrious, prosperous, joyful, and free, and will help set many others

free. The inner cities of America will also become one of the most powerful economic engines, not

only in America, but in the world.

CONCLUSION

As stated, in a bulletin there is a limit to the depth that we can address these issues, but the

last Bulletin, “Putting the Ax to the Root of the Tree,” received more response than any I have written

in years. As long as there is a demand to hear more, we will seek to go deeper and wider in

addressing the crucial issues of our times.

Source URL: http://www.morningstarministries.org/resources/prophetic-bulletins/2008/change





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Highway to Heaven

Mo rningStar Prop he tic Bulletin No . 77 (2008)

Rick Joy ner

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The New American Standard Bible (NASB).

President-elect Obama won the election because he seized the high ground of hope for the future.

The hope he gave was mostly undefined and superficial, which only goes to show the power of hope,

especially in difficult times. This is a lesson we must learn. One of the most tragic mistakes of

Christianity has been to focus on the prophecies of judgment about the end of the age instead of

fulfilling the commandment to preach the gospel of the kingdom. Gospel means “good news,” and it is

the greatest news the world has ever or will ever hear. When that greatest hope of all is articulated,

no message on earth will have ever had a greater impact. It is time to take up this charge.

This is not to imply that we should overlook the prophecies about the troubles that will come upon the

world at the end of this age. A good case can be made that these troubles are already unfolding. We

are foolish if we do not heed these and prepare for their fulfillment. However, the devil has been

successful in getting the world to believe that Christians are fearful prophets of doom who are against

just about everything and are out to spoil everyone’s fun. Many Christians have helped to feed that

image by the message they preach, and the message they have preached has made them into that

kind of church. This will soon change.

As this age comes to a close and the world enters its most trying times, the church and her message

are going to change. As the greatest of all hopes takes its place in the heart of the church, her

demeanor is going to become one that exudes vision and purpose. In the greatest darkness, she will

be the greatest light, growing in the joy and peace of the Lord, demonstrating the greatest and

happiest society the world has ever seen.

The biblical prophecies are clear that things are going to shake more and more as we get closer to

the end of this age, until everything that can be shaken will be shaken. Those same Scriptures explain

clearly how we can build our lives on the kingdom which cannot be shaken. If we obey the Lord we

have nothing to fear in these times, but rather the opposite—we have the promise of increasing glory

(see Hebrews 12:26-29). When this hope, peace, and joy arise in the midst of such trials, it will be

even brighter and will cause the nations to flock to the light, as we see promised in Isaiah 60:1-5:

“ Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.

“ For behold, darkness will cover the earth, and deep darkness the peoples; but the Lord will

rise upon you, and His glory wi ll appear upon you.

“ And nations wil l come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. by Rick

Joyner “ Lift up your eyes round about, and see; they all gather together, they come to you.

Your sons wi ll come from afar, and your daughters will be carried in the arms.

“ Then you w ill see and be radiant, and your heart will thrill and rejoice; because the

abundance of the sea will be turned to you, the wealth of the nations wil l come to you.”





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The gospel of the kingdom is the greatest hope for the future this world has ever heard. This is the

unshakable promise that we have from God that His kingdom is going to come to this world and His

will is going to be done, right here on earth as it is in heaven. When His kingdom comes, He is going

to restore the earth into the paradise that it was originally intended to be. The lions will lie down with

the lambs, and children will play with cobras, because no one is going to hurt anyone else. All the

mourning, pain, disease, famine, and even death itself will have been removed from the earth. At that

time, the knowledge of the Lord will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea.

The power of the gospel of the kingdom is greater than any other message. The power of hope is

great, but there is no other message of hope like the one we have been given. The church will not

continue to let cults, such as the New Age movement, seize the high ground of hope for the future.

This is our special domain. It is time to raise the banner and stand for hope in the future as the gospel

of the kingdom so powerfully does.

Think about it. Even the most far-fetched concepts and dreams of utopia fall short of how great it will

actually be right here on the earth after the kingdom has come and the earth has been restored.

However, the greatest promise of all is that God is going to make His dwelling place on earth among

men. As awesome as His creation is, God is far more interesting, compelling, and lovable than His

creation. God will again walk with men in paradise and dwell among them. This will indeed make the

earth the center of the universe. When mankind is restored to God and to our original purposes, the

creation will come back into harmony and become the home for man and God that it was originally

intended to be. This will be far more wonderful than we can comprehend at this time. That is the hope

given for the original creation, but what is promised for the new creation will be far better.

The new creation is the great company of those who responded to God in this age and who were

redeemed, reconciled, and restored to Him. These are the ones who gave their lives to His service in

preparing the way for His coming kingdom and will have “a better resurrection” (see Hebrews

11:35). As the Lord J esus testified, they will be like Him in His resurrected, glorified body and willhave transcended the natural realm to be “ partakers of the divine nature” (see II Peter 1:4). These

will also rule with Christ over the earth during the “ period of restoration of all things” (see Acts

3:21)—the one-thousand year reign of Christ over the earth.

We can see in the Scriptures that the restoration of the earth to the paradise it was originally created

to be will take one thousand years. The earth and all of the people on it will go through a renewing

process similar to what a believer goes through after being born again. We are not instantly perfected

and mature, but we must have our minds transformed as we grow up “into Christ.” This is similar to

what the whole earth will go through, but it will be much easier after the Lord’s return and Satan is

bound. The period of restoration will be filled with wonders just as the progressing Christian life is.

Again, all of this is seen in the prophecies of Scripture.

The reason why the Lord did not bind Satan and cast him into the lake of fire immediately after His

resurrection (which He had the authority to do), was because He did not want it to be easy for us. The

entire church age has the purpose of calling and perfecting those who would actually become true

sons and daughters of God, co-heirs with Christ. These do not just have to prove their devotion, but

they need the trials and tests to make them into who they are called to be. King David endured much

to prepare him to be the great king that he was. Trials are not things God does to us but for us.

There is a prevailing concept that when the Lord returns the earth will be instantly perfected. That is

not the case as the prophecies make quite clear. In fact, that is not the way the Lord has ever done

anything. The whole period of history since the Fall reveals His patient process with man. However,





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when He returns, it is obvious that the process of renewal will be hastened and made much easier for

the earth and its inhabitants.

Paradise Restored

I have had prophetic experiences in which I was shown brief pictures of how wonderful the kingdom of

God on the earth will be. With sin and evil removed, the mental capacity of people grew to be many

times what we have now. It has been estimated that even the greatest geniuses only use about 10

percent of their brains. In the kingdom, the rest of the brain will be awakened, not just for people, but

for all creatures. This will result in an ability to perceive and understand many times what we are able

to now. The animals were also freed mentally so that there was a communication and understanding

between all living things.

Animals such as lions seemed to have an intelligence approaching what people have now. The

communication between people and animals was conversational and intelligent. I was shown that this

was actually the condition in the Garden before the Fall, which is why Eve was not startled when the

serpent talked to her—she was used to having conversations with animals.

After the Fall, the discord between man and creation grew as man fell deeper into depravity and

selfishness. Noah, who had maintained a level of harmony with God, also had maintained a level of

harmony with His creation. This enabled Noah to be comfortable with the animals in the ark and to

communicate with them. That, too, is an insight into what the messengers of the kingdom will be like.

They will not only save man but the creation as well. The Lord loves the earth that He made for us,

and He loves all of the creatures on it.

In the visions I have been given of the age to come, men were not teaching the animals tricks but high

level concepts and the ways of the Lord. The creatures worshiped Him too and wanted to know Him

and be close to Him. The animals were also sharing with men their understanding of Him and their

understanding of the creation. It was as if man was having the kind of fellowship with the animals that

God has with men. Knowledge was still increasing, and it was truth that led to an increasingly

abundant life.

Because the curse on the earth was removed, the climate seemed much more uniform over the earth.

This enabled plants to grow much faster and larger. Fruit was produced continually, not just

seasonally. People did not seem to need as much food as they do now. The productivity of fruit and

grains was so abundant that the earth could be occupied easily by many times the number of people

who had lived during this age. In fact, several times the number of people who had lived on the earth

could have lived in what is now an area less than the size of Texas. There was that much more

productivity out of the land and less consumption by man and the animals.

Technology was also far beyond what we have now. Energy was given by nature in a way that was

not only a ready source but clean and completely renewable. The energy from the sun was converted

in such an efficient way that roads absorbed it and transferred it directly to vehicles traveling over

them, with no pollution. There was air travel also, but the fuel source came from solar energy that was

absorbed on the surface of aircrafts and was transferred directly into power. Engines were so quiet

that they seemed to be an electric and magnetic combination. The energy transfer was so efficient

that there was no waste and no pollution.

Travel was extensive for recreation, education, and trade. Commerce and interchange was vibrant,

but without hype, pressure, and competition. There was not a mentality of getting the most out of atransaction, but rather giving the most. This made for a peace and tranquility that pervaded over all.





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Survival was not an issue and neither was prosperity, so fear and greed were no longer a part of

human transactions. This made every day full of life and joy, and learning was the great treasure for

everyone.

I did not see space travel but understood that the solar system was “the backyard” that those on earthwere devoted to settling and bringing to life. To help life become abundant where it was not yet found

was a great focus and devotion. The technology of harnessing the sun’s energy was making this

possible for even distant planets and moons. The creation of this type of technology and this devotion

to bring life where it was not yet found brought great pleasure to the Lord. It seemed that all of

mankind’s now considerable genius was devoted to spreading life and helping it to thrive.

Why was I shown this? I think it was simply because I asked to understand what mankind would be

doing after the earth was restored. It was just a curiosity, but I felt that it brought great pleasure to the

Lord to show me these things. I was just given a brief glimpse, and we know His plans for us are far

beyond what we can ask or think.

The New Creation

What I have described above was what I was shown for mankind, but the “new creation” is given far

more than this. As stated, those who attained to the high calling of God by overcoming in this age

were given “ a better resurrection.” They were not just resurrected as humans on the earth, but in

the nature of Christ in His resurrection. They could visit the natural realm at will, but they did not dwell

there—rather they dwelled in the spiritual realm.

In this life we can only see in part and know in part, and I have not been shown much more than this

about those who attain to the high calling of God in Christ J esus. This is the race that the Apostle Paul

wrote about (see I Corinthians 9:24). It was also what he was seeing when he said that he did not

consider himself to have yet attained to it, but he pressed on toward the high calling of God in Christ

J esus. Of course, Paul was not thinking about his redemption or salvation, which we attain as soon as

we believe. He saw something so great concerning a high calling that he pressed on to attain

the “ one thing” (see Philippians 3:13-14), and he did not consider at that time that he had.

The mentality that in the resurrection we will all be the same is disputed throughout the Scriptures.

There are rewards and even the manner of our resurrection is obviously affected by how we serve

Him in this life. Not understanding that how we live this life will affect our place in eternity is probably

one of the main open doors to lukewarmness and even debauchery among Christians. Obviously, the

Lord’s own disciples understood this or they would not have asked for certain positions in the

kingdom.

The Scriptures actually make it quite clear that there will be a resurrection to the heavenly realm for

some and the earthly realm for others. A full study of this is not possible in aBulletin, but we do need

to understand the rewards. Even J esus endured the cross because He was looking to the reward.

Even being resurrected to the lowest state will be far more wonderful than the highest state in this life.

However, there clearly is a “high calling” that even perceiving a little should wake us up to the greatest

devotion. I have had some conservative evangelical leaders say that not understanding this is the one

thing that is hurting the church in our times, and understanding it could have a bigger impact on the

church than any other single factor. I am not sure if I would quite go that far, but no doubt it is very

important.

Where Are We?





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Even the best map is useless unless you know where you are. Every Christian should know where

they are on the path of life, and they should also know the signs of the times in which they live. This is

declared quite clearly in I Thessalonians.5:1-11:

Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written toyou.

For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the

night.

While they are saying, “ Peace and safety!” then destruction wi ll come upon them suddenly like

birth pangs upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.

But you , brethren, are not in darkness, that the day should overtake you like a thief;

for you are all sons of l ight and sons o f day. We are not of night nor of darkness;

so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober.

For those who sleep do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night.

But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love,

and as a helmet, the hope of salvation.

For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus

Christ,

who died for us, that whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with Him.

Therefore encourage one another, and build up one another, just as you also are doing.

It says here that we are not to be in darkness so that the day overtakes us like a thief, but if we are

sons of the day, or of the light, we should see and understand what is happening. There were

prophets in the Old Testament that were shocked if anything significant happened without them

foreseeing it. We have “a better covenant” with more glory, so we should be doing better than that.

How do we get there? There is a way that has been prepared. All we have to do is get on the path.

The way to do that is to discern it and be devoted to staying on it. In Isaiah 40:3-5 the prophet

declares:

A voice is cal ling, “ Clear the way for the Lord in the wilderness; make smooth in the desert a

highway for our God.

“ Let every valley be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low. Let the rough ground

become a plain, and the rugged terrain a broad valley.

“ Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all flesh will see it together, for the mouth of

the Lord has spoken.”

We prepare the way for the Lord by building a highway. To build a highway, the ground needs to be

leveled, bringing down mountains and hills, and raising up the low places. A lot of work is done for us

to be able to drive on our super-highways and zip along at 70 mph. Likewise, many have done a lot of





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work on our spiritual highway so we can go much further and faster than those who went before us.

This is one reason why it is so important and crucial for our spiritual health to honor our fathers and

mothers in the Lord, who did so much to make our way straight and smooth. It is likewise our job to

keep building this highway until it is complete and the kingdom comes.

There is a straight, smooth highway right through the difficulties the world is presently experiencing.

Regardless of how dark and confusing it gets in the world, for those who are on the highway, it will be

getting increasingly bright and full of hope, just as we are told in Proverbs 4:18: “ But the path of the

righteous is li ke the light of dawn, that shines brighter and brighter until the full day.” If we stay

on the path of the righteous, our lives will get continually brighter. We should see our path more and

more clearly. If this is not the case, then somewhere we have gotten off the path. If this is the case,

we can get back on the right path by a simple act called “repentance.” As C.S. Lewis observed, in the

Lord the wrong path will never turn into the right one, so if we have gotten off the right path we must

go back to where we missed the turn. That is basically what repentance is.

The “ path of the righteous,” or the right path, is doing what is right in the sight of the Lord. Staying

on this path is simply walking in basic, biblical discipleship. The Lord made this very clear in such

Scriptures as Luke 14:27: “ Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be

My discip le.” True disciples are not Christians for what they can get, but for what they can give, the

most basic of which is their life. The apostle made this clear in II Corinthians 5:14-15:

For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all

died;

and He died for all, that they who live should no longer live for themselves, but for Him who

died and rose again on their behalf.

To have eyes to see, we must be delivered from selfishness and self-seeking so that we are devoted

completely to the Lord and His purposes. To the degree that we are devoted to Him, we will see

through His eyes and understand with His heart. If we are going to walk in understanding and

discernment of the times, we must return to basic, radical discipleship. The Lord said in Matthew

16:24-25:

“ If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.

“ For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake shall

find it.”

The Lord explained in the Parable of the Sower that the seed, which is His Word, will be choked out

by the cares and worries of this world. If we spend more time caring for the things of this world than

we do for the Lord, then those things have become our first love or a devotion that we have above

Him, which is an idol. An idol is not just something you bow down to, but it is what you put your

affection or your trust in instead of God. J ust as the judgments of God that came upon Egypt were for

the purpose of setting His people free, the judgments coming upon the world in our times are also

intended to help set His people free.

To build our lives on the kingdom, or to stay on the path of life, there is a simple key—the key of the

kingdom. The key of the kingdom is explained in Matthew 6:33, “ But seek first His kingdom and

His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you.” It is a sure promise of God that if

we will put His kingdom first, He will take care of everything else we need. That is the best businessdeal we will get in this life!





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How do we seek His kingdom first? We should start by putting His kingdom first in our decision

making. The key to the kingdom is to never make a major decision on what we want or what others

want but on the interests of the kingdom. For example, if we made the decision on where we would

live based on where the best job opportunity is, the geography we liked, or to be close to friends or

relatives, rather than where the Lord wanted us, we could be in the wrong place for our purpose in

Him. It may be nice for a while, but when the shaking comes, we will pay a dear price for not having

sought the kingdom first. This is probably the number one reason why so many Christians do not feel

that there is a church close to them where they fit—they are in the wrong place. If we do not esteem

being in the right place in His body more than having a good job, then we certainly are not seeking the

kingdom first.

If this is the case with us, what do we do? First, do not do anything rash, but start a radical pursuit of

the Lord and His purposes. We can have great jobs and things may be going well at work, but if we

are in the wrong place it can cost us our children, our peace, and our joy. We are told in

Romans14:17, “ for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and

peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” Righteousness, peace, and joy are far more valuable than any

material things we can receive in this world. Multitudes of very wealthy people will testify of this on

judgment day.

I have been privileged to get to know quite a few of the world’s most successful people, and, without

exception, if they did not know the Lord, they did not have either peace or joy in their lives. Those in

the world often seek joy first as their chief pursuit, but the only path to true peace and true joy is by

starting with righteousness, which is doing what is right in the sight of the Lord. This alone can lead to

true peace, which is the only foundation for true joy.

For Christians who have lost their peace and joy—get back on the path of righteousness! This alone

can restore our peace and joy. Doing what is right in the sight of the Lord is seeking and doing His will

above all things. If this is our chief pursuit, it will be what we seek first when making any majordecisions in our lives. The path of life is walking in the will of the Lord. J esus is the Way, the Truth,

and the Life. If we really know the Way, He will also be our Truth and our Life.

The Best of Times

There will be an increasing distinction between those who are on the path of life and those who are

not. Churches and individuals who are on the right path will see increasing revival. Great and exciting

new movements are about to be born all over the earth. The wise will rejoice in all of them. These will

not bring competition but will be the streams that make glad the city of God.

The church is going through a radical transformation, and radical, biblical Christianity will continuetaking root across the earth. Miracles will again be a main currency of the church, verifying its

message of the kingdom, which will begin to be preached. Every new stream or movement will help

carry the whole church further toward her ultimate destiny. The whole church should embrace new

movements the way a congregation embraces new believers.

Power and Dominion

The great Apostle Paul wrote that the cross is the power of God (see I Corinthians 1:18). Those who

will walk in the greatest power are those who embrace the cross the most, taking it up daily and living

a life of sacrifice for the purpose of serving God and His people. I have been a Christian nearly forty

years and have spent a good deal of my studies over that time reading the great Christian voices whoimpacted their times, and often all succeeding times. There is a common denominator you can sense





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in all of their writings—it is the message of the cross. They preached and lived a life of sacrifice. I was

told over twenty years ago that the cross would be popular again and that it would be the message of

our times—I know that we have come to that time. When this becomes a reality, it will pave the way

for unprecedented supernatural authority to be given to the church.

The emerging generation is not responding to the self-centered message that much of the church

drifted into over the last few decades. If you look at the congregations of typical churches, it is

composed mostly of old people and their parents. However, the youth are coming to Christ in great

numbers, but they are not going to be found in boring church meetings, and they are not giving

themselves to the self-centered message that the former generation fed on. The emerging generation

is being drawn to movements that preach radical discipleship and a life of sacrifice.

True Christianity is the ultimate adventure and the greatest cause. True church life is to be a part of

the ultimate fellowship of the most noble, courageous souls. This is being restored in our times, and

though a good example of it may not be found in every community yet, it will be. The gospel of the

kingdom will be preached in every place before the end of this age can come. J ust as the gospel of

salvation can only be preached by those who have salvation, the gospel of the kingdom can only be

preached by those who are living in the kingdom. The highway to the kingdom is open and many are

traveling it. It is the higher-way of God.

A New Beginn ing

The number 8 in prophecy often refers to a new beginning, and 2008 was certainly a year of new

beginnings. However, when a person is born, they are far from being what they will be when they

mature, and the new things that have been born in the church this year are a long way from being

mature. Because of this, to see what the Lord is doing we often need the vision of Simeon the

prophet, who could see in a mere infant the salvation of the world (see Luke 2:25-34). For this reason,

the Lord compared faith to a seed. Faith can see a mature tree in a seed. You may only see it now

with the eyes of faith, but the last-day church was actually born in 2008.

On 8/8/08, we had a gathering to celebrate this new beginning. It was an outdoor event on the

grounds at Heritage and it drew thousands. The Lord gave us “signs in the heavens” to testify that He

was indeed bringing forth a new beginning. For days before, the heat had been hitting 100 degrees or

more, and the humidity was almost too much to bear for more than a few minutes. Of course, we were

concerned about the people in the open fields. However, the Lord turned on His air conditioner, and

as we gathered for the meeting the temperature was a very comfortable, 88 degrees with low

humidity, and the wind was blowing 8 mph.

The presence of the Lord was remarkable, and there were many signs and wonders that day. Evenso, the Lord had spoken through a number of dreams that September 21 was going to be an even

more important day. We had changed the dates of our Harvest and Worship & Warfare Conferences

so that September 21 was the Sunday between them. It was a powerful day, but not more than we

were used to at conferences, and it did not seem that anything very significant happened—but it did.

Through a number of prophetic dreams and experiences given to those who had gathered with us and

others who were far away, the Lord proclaimed that day as the end of the Laodicean church and the

beginning of age of the 8th church of the Book of Revelation. This is not to add to the Book of

Revelation, but there is actually an 8th church in it—the bride that is prepared for Him and comes

down out of heaven.

The Laodicean church was the one that had so much she did not seem to need the Lord. We havecertainly been in a very blessed time in the natural, but much of the church has fallen into the most





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depraved and deceived state of lukewarmness. That will now change. That church is going to fade

away, and a new church with a new nature is going to emerge. The difference between these two

churches will be like the difference between a caterpillar and a butterfly. The caterpillar is a worm that

has to crawl on the earth and therefore conforms to the earth. The butterfly soars high above it and is

carried about by the wind of the Spirit.

It is said that the greatest struggle of the life of a butterfly is breaking out of its cocoon. However, if it

was not for that great struggle, the butterfly would not have the strength to use its huge wings. A

struggle is happening in the church, but it is for our sakes so that we will be able to use the great

authority that the Lord will give His people who are called to preach the good news of His coming

kingdom. It is now time to obey Romans 12:1-2:

I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy

sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiri tual service of worship.

And do not be conformed to this world , bu t be t ransformed by the renewing of your mind, that

you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

The Greek word that is translated “transformed” in this text is actually the word that we derive our

English word “metamorphosis” from, which is the process a caterpillar goes through to become a

butterfly. It is time to learn to fly.

Source URL: http://www.morningstarministries.org/resources/prophetic-bulletins/2008/highway-

heaven



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morningstar prophetic bulletin-2008 by rick joyner

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