As I prayed over the New Year I sensed in my spirit that this is going to be a very aggressive year for everyone around the world. As fast paced and unpredictable as last year was, this year will far surpass it as one event will hardly have a chance to be spoken of when another event will transpire.
This will also be a highly spiritual year and though it will seem as if great strides will be made to bring back the values that Christians lost during the last forty years, we must not let ourselves be persuaded into compromising one value, just to receive another in return. Even while this is happening, many of the old gods that are mentioned in the scriptures have been demonically summoned to seek out new territories to influence and spread their evil practices. Many will begin to openly worship the ancient deities and take part in pagan worship which will give rise to brick and mortar pagan worship centers. Where major denominations once took their place on street corners opposite each other, now these pagan centers will vie for respectability.
Mankind is experiencing a mass exodus of humanity that is spreading throughout the nations many of which are bringing with them their false gods. Remember we are not battling against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers that have demonic influence over individuals. In Zechariah 7:9-10 the Lord says, “Administer true justice’ show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. In your hearts do not think evil of each other.” We must never forget that we are not of this world but are aliens and strangers to the political and geographical boundaries that make up this world. Our Kingdom is from above and as such we must be careful that we do not allow ourselves to be influenced by the sinful desires that these or any false gods bring with them. 1 Peter 2:11, John 17:16
CHURCH…WHAT FOLLOWS THE DECREE OF KING CYRUS?
Prayer is our number one foundational weapon that will defeat the enemy and bring order and stability to the world. A new prayer movement must be awakened across the world that stirs the hearts of saints to repent and bend their knees in prayer. If what has been proclaimed concerning President-Elect Trump is accurate, that he is ‘like’ a Cyrus and is being led by the Lord to turn our nation back to the Christian foundation it was built upon, then we need to realize the importance we as a church have in rebuilding the walls as Zerubbabel was led to do, following Cyrus’s decree. (Ezra 1:1-3)
As in the days of Zerubbabel I believe God has been moving on the hearts of those he has called to re-build the house of the Lord. (Ezra 1:5) During the past ten years, God has been preparing the hearts of those he has called so that their relationship with Him sustained through intimacy and holiness will mirror the foundation and walls they are to rebuild and repair. We sense that this is a crucial time for us to make sure our lamps are not only filled with the oil of the Holy Spirit but for us to store up additional oil as we await our bridegroom. Oil that is refined in the fire of holiness, setting us apart by our hearts desire to be presented before him in purity. (Matthew 25:1-13)
There will be two significant events that will play dominate roles in 2017. The first as I mentioned earlier concerns what President-Elect Trump will do once he is in the White House. That is why it is so crucial to pray not only for his protection but for those around him to have their minds and hearts fixed on the word of God. The next event is what has transpired in southern Iraq.
TO THOSE WHO OVERCOME…WILL BE GIVEN THE VICTORY!
As I began to put together this Newsletter I looked up the significance of the number seventeen which symbolizes ‘overcoming the enemy’ and ‘complete victory’. Not bad for a start and both are terms that we will need to hold fast to during the coming days. However, as I read further concerning the number seventeen I was led to the Chaldeans and the God they worshipped named Ishtar. This female Goddess of the Chaldeans was known as a lover of war and the goddess of sexual impulses or more precisely known by the name, the ‘Whore of Babylon’.
I was led next by the Holy Spirit to read the book of Zechariah 5:5-11, where it says,
Then the angel who was speaking to me came forward and said to me, “Look up and see what is appearing. I asked, “What is it?”
He replied, “It is a basket.” And he added, “This is the iniquity of the people throughout the land.”
Then the cover of lead was raised, and there in the basket sat a woman! He said, “This is wickedness,” and he pushed her back into the basket and pushed its lead cover down on it.
Then I looked up—and there before me were two women, with the wind in their wings! They had wings like those of a stork, and they lifted up the basket between heaven and earth.
“Where are they taking the basket?” I asked the angel who was speaking to me.
He replied, “To the country of Babylonia to build a house for it. When the house is ready, the basket will be set there in its place.”
I found it interesting that the woman who represents ‘wickedness’ was taken to the country of Babylon which is where the goddess Ishtar was/is located. Could it be that in these last days this goddess of ‘wickedness’ is going to be or has already been released spreading her influence throughout the world. If so, it is paramount that we all strive to be holy and blameless and that we have no compromise found in us in these last days.
The Chaldeans were known for their study of astrology, alchemy and sorcery. These attributes of the Chaldeans or occult practices are already increasing around the world. Let’s look at one aspect of what the Chaldeans were known for. Sorcery is where we get the word ‘pharmakeia’ or pharmacy which is mentioned in Galatians 5:19-21 as ‘deeds of the flesh’. Later in Rev. 18:23 it is mentioned that the great city Babylon was known for deceiving all the nations through the use of sorcery ‘pharmakeia’. Is it then so strange that the United States, which comprises 5% of the world’s population, contains 80% of the world’s opiate addicts. The Pharmacies located in West Virginia during this past year sold enough opiate’s to give every man, woman and child in the state over 450 individual pills…each! If we would look at ‘sexual impulses’ we have no need to look further than the transgender issue, LGBT community along with the pornographic addictions, increased sexual promiscuity, adultery and fornication being spread throughout the world. As a ‘lover of war’ we need to look not only at ISIS but the lawlessness that abounds within our country as demonstrated on the day after Christmas when over a dozen riots broke out in our malls across the country. It would appear that this demonic spirit/principality of lust, war and drugs has already been unleashed throughout the world.
God has and is preparing a people for such a time as this to be raised up in holiness, righteousness and truth so that we may overcome the enemy and have complete victory over them. God does this by making us aware of what is transpiring around us, not so we will be in despair over the world’s conditions but so we will be informed as to how we should pray so that we can be effective in overcoming the enemies plan. Having our lamps continually filled to overflowing comes from our having intimacy with God. We pray that His presence and the oil of the Holy Spirit will fill each of you afresh and that you will be captured by His amazing love and transformed by His Spirit, (Zech.4:6), so that we will not be overwhelmed by the world in 2017 but we will overwhelm the world through Christ that lives in us.
Rex & Lois Burgher
Kingdom Life Ministry 