THE FOUR WINDS OF HEAVEN

​Just prior to the siege of Jerusalem in the first century A.D., and subsequent to Jesus' crucifixion, the Scriptures state that God restrained the four winds of heaven by appointing four angels to hold back the winds (Revelation 7:1). He wanted to permit the Holy Spirit of God to convert to the Gospel the hearts of as many people as possible. The four winds were the destructive, evil forces that subsequently devastated the city of Jerusalem. Without God's timely intervention, much fewer than 144,000 "first fruits" of the Gospel would have been redeemed from the twelve tribes of Israel (Revelation 7:1-8; 14:1-5).

Today, God again has been holding back the four winds to prevent the devastation of the earth and its people. The current actions of Satan and his antichrist are relatively minor in comparison to what has been prophesied they will do and accomplish in the coming months. The time has come to closely examine your faith, understand God's call and mission (because everyone has a call from God), and make every effort to be filled and sealed with God's Holy Spirit. Whenever God restrains the four winds, someone whom God has chosen must stand in the gap in order to block the threatened devastation. Whoever stands in the gap is focused on protection, as is appropriate when a mother gives birth to a newborn infant. Just as eventually, that infant must mature to adulthood, so now God has determined that we must go on to maturity, he no longer will hold back the four winds of heaven and, as of today, no one will be standing in the gap.

If you are not yet filled with God's indwelling Holy Spirit and wish to be filled, regardless of your religious affiliation or Christian denomination, pray now to receive God's Spirit. Ask God to cleanse you of all impurity, sin and transgression sufficiently to enable you to receive his Holy Spirit. If you have not yet been sealed with the Holy Spirit, or are not certain whether or not you are sealed, pray now that God will seal you. The fervent prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. Pray also for the days ahead, that you will grow in purity, in wisdom and in righteousness, in an understanding of God's gifts to you, in your capacity to share those gifts with others regardless of their faith, and in your knowledge of the power of God. God is love. God is joy. God is peace.