T h e F u t u r e

(Part 1)

Gen. Deborah Green

P RAISE GOD. Welcome to Battle Cry Sounding/Battle Cry Pounding. And guess what? The Lord is on the move.

You know, the Lord wants us to be focused upon Him; it's easy for Americans to get their eyes on politics. Now isn't it true?—to get their eyes on who's in the pink house, who's doing this, who's doing that, and get themselves all worked up, and brew up a bunch of tea, and make these bold declarations that fizzle out, and have all these big shows and big boastings and all that. But you know, that's not the answer at all. The answer is in REPENTANCE, and through the LIVING GOD, and the answer is in walking uprightly and keeping our vision single unto Him.

Now, you know, I made a statement recently that I am not under the pastorship of the most irreverent 'reverend' Joey Osteen. I said "HE'S NOT MY PASTOR"—because the media has coined the phrase "America's pastor." I said, "HE'S NOT MY PASTOR, AND AMERICA'S NOT MY COUNTRY, BUT I BELONG TO THE HEAVENLY KINGDOM."

Did you know that all Christians should belong to the heavenly kingdom? Did you know that we've let this whole delusion of patriotism separate us from God? God never said to worship countries; He never said to worship leaders; He never said to worship nations; none of that. It's all a big infection of idolatry that's come in, and Christians now think they're supposed to do it.

You know, a lot of Christians are moaning and groaning over, "we're losing this, and we're losing that, and we're losing this; and they're trying to completely do away with christmas; and they're going to do this over here, and that over here" and do you know why?

Because CHRISTIANS WON'T GIVE UP THEIR IDOLS, now God's letting the Assyrians mock us in that. And even take our idols away from us—not just the Assyrians, but every other wicked nation in the spirit dimension. But, aside from all that, let's get into our topic, which is, "The Future."

Now, today is January 1st, 2014, so what a day to hear about the future! I don't have a crystal ball, I don't have some tea leaves in the bottom of a cup, I'm not even going to look at the palm of my hand, but I'm going to tell you about the future. Because why? Because the Word of God gives us the blueprint, the outline, for the future—if we will truly follow the Lord.

Now, we're going to go to Mark chapter 13, and I'll be reading out of the Amplified version. There's also kindred Scripture in Matthew 24, and I believe it's also in Luke 21. But, we're going to concentrate today on Mark, and beginning here in chapter 13, verse 1.

And it says, "AND AS [Jesus] was coming out of the temple [area], one of His disciples said to Him, Look, Teacher! Notice the sort and quality of these stones and buildings!" "Notice teacher, look what we've done; look what man can do; look at the great development here, the great achievement here; look at the great works that men can bring forth. I mean look at these stones and these buildings!" Now, they didn't create their own stones, I don't believe; but, those stones were probably so perfectly hewn to fit into the building structure, that it was just a master piece: "Look at these buildings!"

"The Lord gave me a vision in the night, and we're supposed to cover 10 acres with buildings for the Lord. Now, you can be a part of this if you want to send in $99.95 today, then your name will be put upon the list, and you'll be a part of the master builders." Does God care about 10 acres of buildings? Huh-uh; nope; no, it's man's works.

So, he was saying, "Hey teach, look over here and look at what we can do." There used to be a little children's book, and this thing was, "Now they put me in a zoo and look what I can do; I can do this, and I can do that." Some character, you know, could do all this stuff. And that's exactly how this must have appeared to Jesus.

"Hey teach, look, hey, lookie, look what we've done, look at this!" as though Jesus didn't KNOW about the temple. I mean they all knew about it. It was like THE most talked about thing, probably, and the most bragged on thing, and the GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT.

Well, I mean I could understand for the Jews—because of their own rebellions, and their own idolatry, and their own abominations, they had been reduced many times just to a heap of rubble. But, the point of it is, we're going to see how Jesus felt about their buildings, and about their stones, and about their achievements, and about their works.

He says, "And Jesus replied to him, You see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be loosened and torn down." Can't you just see pastor mega-bucks, who's built mega-church, and he's walking through, and letting everyone know: "This is the night that we're going to dedicate these buildings to God." And the Word of the Lord comes through a true prophet and says, "Yea, yea, yea, before the year is out, your buildings will be a heap of rubble."

Well, what would happen? First of all, they would hand-cuff the true prophet, they would put a gag in his mouth—that he couldn't say any more words of truth, and they would quickly drag him out and try to get him imprisoned forever—because he'd spoken against the great buildings. But then listen to what Jesus is saying, "And Jesus replied to him, You see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another that will” what? “That will not be loosened and torn down."

So, what is He saying? He's saying, "This great accomplishment, this great achievement, this great display, it doesn't mean anything to me, and it doesn't mean anything to God; it's your thing. It's your thing."

So, He's clarifying it—that He's not building according to the way they built. Because what did He do? He came to establish a new order, so why is He concerned with the old order? Why is He going to be respecting the old order and say, "Well, we should keep it because...it's a historical monument, and it might be worth something someday. And we should keep it...because it reminds the Jewish people of their history…and um…we should keep it because we've got to have somewhere to…keep the religious establishment…to keep them happy in their ruts and routines"? He didn't say any of that. He said, "It's all going to come down."

Did you know that's revolution, and did you know that's what God wants in our life, and did you know when we repent, that we're to let the Master Builder tear down the other buildings in our life—that He can build His building in our life? That we can become His temple, THAT WE CAN BECOME HIS TEMPLE?

We're supposed to be living stones. WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE LIVING EPISTLES—TO BE SEEN AND READ OF ALL MEN. In other words, we're supposed to allow Christ to be formed in us—to the extent that people can look at us, and know that we are His. Just like they knew that that temple was supposed to be representing the God that they had followed from the days in the wilderness—after the passing over the Red Sea—they had followed, not faithfully, not truthfully, not honestly, but supposedly. Then, they were bragging on their great temple, but we are supposed to be reflecting Christ in us, the hope of glory.

We are meant to be going through the process of being made in the image and likeness of the Son of God. That's what our future's supposed to hold. Now, you look at the goals, the achievements, the things that men seek recognition for in the religious world, "Well, I've got so many in my denomination." "Well, we just built five new churches." "Huh! Well, you think you're something? We just built 50 new churches." "Huh! Well, you think you've got something; you should see OUR BUILDINGS. Our buildings are earthquake proof, tornado proof, hurricane proof, fire proof, God proof; nothing can get in, including the big man." "Wow! You guys got it together; where did you learn all that?" “FROM STALIN.”

Now look, let's face reality. Modern Churchianity is more concerned with the natural, the physical manifestation of THEIR WORKS than anything to do with God's work. Now, is it true? Yeah, it's true. So, does God want us in that kind of condition? Absolutely not. Did Jesus say that was what the future was going to hold for His true disciples? Not one word of it.

I get these letters in and people say, "I am a church-planter." I thought, "Show me where they're at so I can come along and pull them up." "I'm a church planter." You know, people say, "Show me in the Scripture anything about God wanting an army!"

Well, show me in the Scripture anything about God wanting a church-planter. Well, you think because you use the word, "ch-ch"…I'm not even going to say that bad word; you think if you use the ch…c-h word, that puts you in right-standing with God. YOU'D BETTER RE-EXAMINE YOUR THEOLOGY. IF YOU USE THE "C-H" WORD, YOU HAVE JUST ANGERED GOD. Because that wasn't God's plan. That wasn't God's ordination. That wasn't God's building.

WE are meant to be the temple. So, am I supposed to be running all over the world financing church buildings? No. If I'm a true messenger and a true vessel of God, I'm meant to be building up the body of Christ members in particular. Right? I'm meant to be feeding, I'm meant to be directing, guiding, instructing—as God has done with me.

Now, isn't that what Paul said? "Follow me as I follow Christ." In other words, "I let Christ work me over, now you let Him work you over—that you can be brought forth in what God desires."

Now, let's get back here to our Scripture, and to the future, because we really want to know about the FUTURE; today is the great new year's day. Ok, so we see that it was Jesus saying, "You know what, all this is going to be torn down."

Now, I'm going to get on an issue here that Americans need to repent over—American so-called Christians. What they were so proud of in this temple, what they were so proud of in this great structure, what they were so wanting Him to recognize was PRIDE…pride.

Ok, lifestyle pride: "Well, we certainly have a fancy temple to go to. Did you know in the ladies restroom that there is a mirror that cost 50,000 dollars, and that thing is so tall it reaches from the floor to the very top of the towering structure?" Who cares? Is it supposed to be a vanity room where you get to foo-foo your do-do, and you get to put more butter globs on your face—of various colors, and even a little cut glass and sand?

Did you know that eye-shadow has cut glass in it—for those of you that want to look like you have blacked eyes. You want a black eye, just get in a fight with hubby; he'll take care of you. No, you'd rather put cut glass over your eyes—like some kind of Egyptian harlot… "Christian."

And then you want to put some big, old, thick gunk on your lips—that smears on your teeth when you talk. And then when you eat, it gets all saggy and runs down your chin. And then by the end of your day, all you've got is a line of it out here, and then people can see you trying to make your lips look big, and put it way up there; it's true.

Make-up—you've got to have a mirror for make-up. Did you know they actually sell those things...they've got big lights all around them. They call them make-up mirrors. Did you know more women have had auto-accidents putting on their make-up than any other thing while they're driving?

Ok, lifestyle pride, works pride, building pride. "Hey, lookie here teach; look what we've done." He said, "You know what I think about what you've done? Torn down." OK, WHAT IS ONE OF THE MAJOR SINS OF AMERICAN CHRISTIANS? PRIDE – LIFESTYLE PRIDE.

Oh, this morning I was thinking about this when the Lord was ministering to me. And you know, they have these so-called "Christian" movies that are meant to put out, and instill principles. Every movie is alike.

Like my husband says, "They always have beautiful women who have perfect teeth, perfect figures, and beautiful clothes. They always got some hen-pecked man that's all torn up over these family issues. And then you've always got some BEAUTIFUL, fabulously furnished house, or condominium, or apartment; but it's always exquisite—not one dog hair, not one cat claw mark on the furniture, not one speck out of place; everything’s immaculately beautiful, classy. Somebody's got to be making some big money, or have a whole layer or a whole wallet full of plastic—because you're talking about stuff and things maximum” lifestyle pride.

What is the first thing missionaries that go to the third world want to do? They want to upgrade the lifestyle of the people. I don't read one time where Jesus said, "You have to upgrade the lifestyle." I don't read one time where Jesus said, "Your stuff and things shows that you love me."

I don't read one time where Jesus said, "Your beauty, and the way you swing your stuff around, and the kind of car you drive, and how hen-pecked you are, Ahab, and take it, and how domineering Jezebel rules the roost, and won't even let a fly land for a minute...shows you really love God."

And the plots are so shallow. I can't even bear to look at them. God doesn't want me to. It's stupidity. It's like a little magazine you'd read as a kid, you know, "’Ben and Barbie,’ oh, ‘Ken and Barbie,’ sorry." "No, it's ‘Bertha and Barbie,’ you don't know." Ok, “Bertha and Barbie play house.”

But, the point I'm getting to is, American Christians have no depth of commitment because everything is a surface job...EVERYTHING'S A SURFACE JOB. And you hear prophecies that say, "Yea, yea, yea…I want you to be blessed…and blessed, and blessed…and likewise bless me…for I am thy god."

What is that? That's a FALSE PROPHET, that's a false prophecy, and that's a demon that's saying: "I want you to be blessed—so you can be hung up in a material security trap, so you can be hung up in the prosperity trap, so you can be worshiping the god of stuff and things, so you can be accumulating, and suffocating your spiritual man on all this junk, and you can be Martha Stewart #2 with house beautiful," and no hubby because you drove him out—because he spilt his coffee on the carpet.

You sent the old dude a packing after he paid for everything that you wanted. Calloused, hard, impenetrable—in terms of the Gospel, and claim to be Christian...just as stupid, as hypocritical, as false, as God's people were when Jesus came in the flesh.

Now, what did He say, or John the Baptist say to them? "You're a generation of vipers; repent!” What is God's message right now this day? Repent. REPENT, Americans, of your LIFESTYLE PRIDE. Why don't you scale down instead of upscaling? You probably have scales on you. You haven't even…

"Oh no, no, no General Deborah; you're wrong. I don't have scales on me. I don't go near a scale!" Don't get me started on that; I'm on this. But, the point I'm getting to is, the very thing that Jesus said is going to be torn down, I got news for you master-builders, pastor-builders, fakes and flakes, and scales, and whales, and puppy-dog tails, pretenders: God is going to tear you down. That's what your future's going to hold. THAT'S WHAT YOUR FUTURE'S GOING TO HOLD—GOD IS GOING TO TEAR YOU DOWN.

You look at these tornadoes, you look at these hurricanes, you look at the aftermath of these tsunami waves when they come, you look at it all, and what do you see? Heaps of devastation, heaps of ruination. Did God respect your buildings? Did God respect what you had done?

Did God respect your "perfect home?" No, He left it for you babe; now clean it up: TRASH. He thrashed the trash; He devastated it; He ruined it. And your little me-me-me world is nothing. God's given demonstration...and it's not across the world; it's in here. God struck the heartland, God struck coastland, and God struck the "say-land." God's showing His sore displeasure; God's showing how much He respects America's idols. Come on.

And people are too dull and dumb to perceive it: "Oh, what's in the future?" I can tell you: devastation, ruination, heaps of rubble—till you grovel in the rubble. And on, and on, and on. Why? Because people will not take action to revolution in repentance of pride—pride over what they have.

So God says, "Ok, you won't repent, you won't draw near unto me, I'll take it all away from you, and you can sit there with your pile of garbage, and you can weep, and curse me, and die—in your rebellion, and in your bitterness, and your refusal of my call—to come near unto me—because you didn't want to be My temple, you wanted to build it your way, you wanted to do it your way, you wanted to have it so men would admire you."

You know what? God doesn't care if you live in a hut; He cares if you serve Him with all of your heart. And where have we developed this IDEA that all of these THINGS represent us being right with God. If American Christians were right with God, there would be no homosexual movement.

If American Christians were right with God, there would be no gang warfare in the schools and public schools having to be prison camps—because IF AMERICAN CHRISTIANS WERE RIGHT WITH GOD, THEY'D CALL FOR THE CLOSURE OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS. And I could go on, and on, and on, and make mention of every dilemma that faces the land in this hour; and it's all because men have built according to pride.

Like I said a message or two ago, "Here these Christians want to brag, ‘Well, we've got the young people in the church now and off the streets;’ but you've brought the streets into the church." They even have stroll-strutting now in some of these mega-mall churches.

"You know, little areas where the dames can show their mini-skirts, and their hooker-boots, and the guys can give them cat calls, and lose their pants in the back, and do all these great things, because the young people are in the church!" No honey, they've brought the streets to the church. But they're no worse than the rest of your gamblers, and fornicators, and whore-mongers, and tanning salons, and beauty bars, “and maybe a few cocktail bars, I mean…" on and on.

Why? Because of building upon falsehood, delusion, pride, lust of the flesh, pride of life—rather than allowing God to build it His way. So Jesus said, "Oh, great, you've got your temple; guess what's going to happen? That's what your future holds!" Are you guys excited about the future?

"Oh! When are we going to start the new building program? I just can't wait. Did you know we're going to have the first church on Mars? It's going to be called 'The church of the stars'; you like that?"

"Torn down," He said. "Not one stone left upon another." So, what's the solution? Repent; REPENT of your way, your works, your pride, and get it right with God; and LET HIM BUILD. Amen.