1,000,000,000 is a BIG Number!

This weekend IHOP-KC is celebrating it's 10 year anniversary. As part of that celebration, Mike Bickle is telling the prophetic history of how it all got started. Rhonda and I have heard many of the stories before but there have been several new ones that have been amazing to hear for the first time.

One of those stories was in regards to a guy by the name of Bob Jones. In the mid 70's Bob had a death experience and went to stand before the Lord. The Lord sent him back in order to walk beside a "youth movement" that God was going to raise up out of Kansas City.

We had heard much of this story before, including prophet words confirmed by snow, rain, unknown comets and the audible voice of the Lord (to name a few). This was all a great reminder for us as we heard these stories again, but there was part of Bob's original encounter with the Lord that I had never heard. I sat there listening to Bob, in his own words share how God told him that there was going to be a BILLION SOULS that would come into the kingdom at the end of the age through this movement!

I have heard Mike use that number in regards to the end-times and that there would be an incredible move of God in the area of evangelism, but I always took it as being an estimated figure - something that merely represented what might or could happen. I had know idea that this number was actually spoken out of the mouth of God to Bob in 1975! What's most amazing about this isn't that it is an actual number, but the fact that EVERYTHING Bob has prophesied about the movement has come to pass. He has been 100% accurate over the course of 30+ years. There are only a few things (that I know of) that Bob prophesied that have yet to be fulfilled, and one of them is the end-time harvest of 1,000,000,000 souls.

So it's got me thinking. If the Lord tells a guy that he's getting his life back so that he can tell a young pastor to start a "youth movement" based on night and day prayer and then the Lord confirms it with signs in the heavens (snow is spring, rain in the middle of a 3 month drought, a heavenly visitation and a comet in the night sky (to mention just a few)) - and ALL of them happen EXACTLY on the day and in the EXACT way that He spoke they would - how can I possibly sit in the midst of this God orchestrated ministry and not take the WHOLE word seriously? Can a guy talk with God and God only be 98% truthful?

I'm still wrestling with it, but not because I don't believe it could be possible, but because of it's ramifications on my life. If I believe God to be 100% truthful in this encounter, then my
children WILL SEE these 1,000,000,000 souls come into the kingdom in their lifetime. I could very easily see 1 BILLION souls come into the kingdom through a supernatural move of God within my lifetime. I don't think I'm wrestling with whether it could happen, but more so with the question "what kind of role do I want to have in this end-time move of God?". Am I OK with sitting back and waiting to see IF it really happens (at the risk of missing out on this great reward) or am I going to be like Noah and build for my family a place of salvation in the midst of God's outpouring? Do I want to WATCH God move, or move WITH God?

To be honest, I'd like to say that I'm going for it, but in reality, I'm still weighing the cost. What will it be like to live the rest of my days among friends and family (not to mention foe's) who will ridicule me on a regular basis with many of the same thoughts that you and I have been thinking over the past 60 seconds?

Even now I'm thinking to myself "why am I writing this?", "are you crazy to share this wrestle?"

All I can say is this: I'm glad I have another 2.5 months to sit before the Lord's counsel and sort this thing out further before I have to see most of you face to face.

At any rate, we love you all and are looking forward to seeing you all again in December.

Jon