According to Jesus, a certain witness will appear on Judgment Day offering a damning testimony against this present generation. The Queen of Sheba is going to take the witness stand, and her words will be condemning: “The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here” (Matthew 12:42).
Of all the Old Testament prophets, Amos speaks most clearly to our times. The prophecy he delivers zeroes in on our generation, as if it were ripped from today's headlines. Indeed, Amos' message is a dual prophecy. It was meant not only for God's people in his day, but also for the church right now, in our time.
A dear Christian woman on our mailing list wrote us a heartrending letter:
"In 1972 we lost a Down syndrome son to pneumonia. He was just seventeen months old. Seven years later, in 1979, we lost our fifteen-year old son. He was electrocuted in our backyard while climbing a tree.
Now our twenty-four-year-old son has diabetes. And I have cancer and am undergoing chemotherapy. I ask you sincerely — is it a sin to ask God, 'Why?' Does he understand our humanness?
A troubled mind is one that suffers from continual discontentment. It is pressed down, disturbed, restless, with no calm or rest. It frets about the future and the past as well as present circumstances. And I'm convinced there are more troubled minds today than in any past generation!
Certain elders of Israel came to the prophet Ezekiel seeking direction and guidance from the Lord. These men were not like many of the Israelites, who openly bowed their knees to idols. No, you wouldn't find these elders in some idol temple, offering sacrifices to the false gods there. They were leaders of the people — and they wanted to appear before everyone as godly men.
One of the most often-heard phrases in the church is, "God answers prayer!" Yet that is only half the truth. The whole truth is, "God overanswers prayer!"
I want to act now as a lawyer before you. I'm going to build a case that will prove to you that in every generation - all through the Bible and continuing to the present day - God always overanswers the prayers of His children. He continually gives much more than we ask for - and often things we wouldn't think to request!
I am learning something very wonderful about the Holy Spirit. He has a very unique characteristic: He does not like to talk about Himself. He does not make Himself the primary object of our attention.
A number of converted witches are going about the country today, warning that Satanists and practicing witches are infiltrating the church — especially charismatic churches. Some of these former witches have authored books telling of a diabolical plot by evil witches to enter congregations posing as super-spiritual Christians. Their purpose is to deceive and shipwreck pastors and to lead multitudes of naive believers into occult worship.
I can't read the Book of Acts without feeling very much ashamed! The apostles lived and ministered in the realm of the miraculous. Even the laymen like Stephen and Philip, men who served tables, were mighty in the Holy Ghost, working miracles and stirring entire cities. Who can read the Book of Acts without awe and wonder at the miracles God worked for them and among them? Angels appeared to them, unlocked their chains, and walked them out of high security prisons. They had mighty visions, clear and detailed.
