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2023 will be a massive storm followed by a massive opportunity. It is the day after Christmas, and we are preparing for a storm. They say that tonight it will drop below zero. Not only that, but strong winds will make the wind-chill feel like 22 below zero. The news is filled with emphatic warnings and advice.
They are warning us to be prepared. It will be dangerous to go outside. We must pay attention to our water pipes. We should have water and supplies in case the roads are impassible and the power goes out—how very foolish it would be for us not to listen.
Yet there is even worse foolishness that takes place among Christians when God warns us of a coming storm. Divine warnings are ignored and are called “negative; and not of faith.”
But if God is warning us—then it is truth! And there is nothing more positive and full of faith than truth. Whereas false promises of safety and blessing are the most dangerous of all lies.
Your mail and email box will be filled with messages from ministries prophesying to you about 2023. They will tell you that it will be all blessings, breakthroughs, multiplication and favor.
It would amaze you how many ministries depend on marketing advice on raising money. Mario Murillo Ministries just ignores such advice, but those ministries that follow it are told: issue a cheery year-end letter. But that is just a fundraising ploy. The idea is, ‘the more upbeat my message, the more money people will send me.
We hear these predictions every year. And every year, a large segment of God’s people never bother to go back and see how wrong they were. In December of 2019, most of these “prophetic” voices predicted that a long list of blessings was ahead. Then the pandemic hit.
Near the end of 2020, we were told that 2021 would be the best of times. Then the election was derailed. And does anyone remember how great 2022 was supposed to be? Yeah, right.
Well, I am telling you that 2023 will begin as a massive storm, but it will end as a vast opportunity—perhaps the greatest opportunity of our lives. The massive storm will be in nature, our money and the condition of cities. A long overdue cultural correction is coming in the New Year.
God is judging America. We will be spared destruction, but not punishment. Why are we being punished? There is a long list of reasons. But I will answer that question with a question: Did many Americans increase their own misery by voting to keep incompetent criminals in office, because they wanted to save abortion?
Now, let’s dig into the Word of God to see what it says about storm warnings:
Jesus said in Matthew 7:24-27, “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”
In simple terms, heeding the teachings of Jesus is like preparing for a storm. The book of Timothy can be read as a storm preparation. The essence of the book is this—Paul is saying: “I am leaving soon. I want to prepare you for what is coming.”
He then directs Timothy to take specific action to be ready, and that is exactly what I want you to do before 2023 arrives.
Paul tells Timothy about several coming storms:
Second Timothy 3:1, “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come…”
Then Paul describes the moral depravity of the last days that we are currently experiencing.
But there are two storms he predicts that will be within the church. The first one is fake ministers and the second one is fake audiences. These too are bringing down judgment on the church.
Fake ministers: 2 Timothy 3:13, “But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.”
Years ago, when I was a young preacher, I thought that the scandals with Jim Bakker and Jimmy Swaggart would dissuade men from sin, pride and foolishness. But instead, the scandals only got worse. The Bible was right!
Many prophetic words today are not just garish, they are patently screwball and embarrassing. My greatest shock is that the leaders of the prophetic movement are not correcting these charlatans. Especially when you consider that these false prophets are going to discredit the entire movement.
For the rest of this article, visit our content partner at mariomurillo.org. {eoa}
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Mario Murillo rose from poverty in the Mission District of San Francisco. After being revolutionized by Christ, he felt a call to the University of California at Berkeley. His international ministry was launched after a four-day conference in San Jose, California, extended for six months with a total attendance of nearly 250,000 people. Since then, Mario’s voice has been heard by millions around the world, bringing a message that zeroes in on the hurts of society. He presents Christ clearly and intelligently, and openly declares the power of Jesus to totally transform a life. His simple declaration: Come and see. Christ has the power to end addiction, racism, violence and disease.
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