What on Earth is Happening Today?

2020 has been a very difficult year for the world. Pestilence and poverty are buffeting many nations. In such times, it is wise to ask what on earth is happening? What is the view from heaven? Here are a few thoughts:

1. God is awakening the world to a greater God-consciousness through global shakings in preparation for a great harvest of lost souls. These shakings – Satanic in origin -  are not his judgments of wrath (reserved for the end of time) but are being permitted to correct and awaken a world that has become shameless in its evil doing and rejection of God’s truth. Job 14:7-9 says, "If a tree is cut down, there is hope that it will sprout again…at the scent of water it may bud and sprout again like a new seedling.”  There is hope for the world that the tree stump of God consciousness can grow again which will bring greater openness to the gospel.

2. God is awakening the church from spiritual sleepiness and prayerlessness. Bells are ringing, trumpets are blowing, and an alarm clock is sounding – alarms are meant to wake us up not scare us. This is not a time for fear but boldness. The call to prayer and mission is sounding loudly from heaven.

3. There is a renewed focus on Jesus – our eyes will more and more centre on him, and less and less on ourselves. A fresh revelation of him will help to rouse many from passive Christianity. The Holy Spirit desires to draw us increasingly into a simple and pure devotion to Christ (2 Corinthians 11:3). In 2020, God is exposing just how we really are, in order to show us how desperately we need him and his grace. His power is perfected in our weakness. (2 Corinthians 12: 9)

4. There is a fresh move of worship that is in spirit and truth, not form. Many songs being written today are prophesying what God wants to do. “Graves to Gardens”, “The Blessing”, “I Raise a Hallelujah”, “Awake My Soul”, “Waymaker” and so on are just a few of the many songs that are prophesying what God’s agenda is. For example, Graves to Gardens declares: “He turns graves into gardens, he turns bones into armies, he turns seas into highways, He is the only one who can.”  The church needs to radically believe this for a world in deep trouble.

In Chris Tomlin’s songs, “Awakening” and “Our God is Greater” he sings:

“Like the rising sun that shines, from the darkness comes a light.                                                                                       I hear your voice say, ‘This is my awakening.’ …                                                                                                      Into the darkness you shine, out of the ashes we rise.                                                                                          Our God is greater, our God is stronger, God you are higher than any other.”

World conditions may have turned many things to ash this year, but as his light shines on us, we will arise out of those ashes and be stronger than ever before.