Going Back To The Future

Going
BackTo th e
Future
Going
BackTo th e
Future
Published by FreedomHouse Publishers
Printed in Nigeria.
Copyright 2010 by Ernest Paul

All Rights Reserved
ISBN 978-978-086-289-3
Cover Design by Ernest Paul

Ep Global Designs Ltd.
0803 301 6299
Published for CentrePort

Abuja
Email: centreportc@gmail.com
Www.centreportonline.org
0806 445 2910
Contents
Introduction 4
Chapter 1
When Change Occurs 6
Chapter 2
How Can We Know the Times 16
Chapter 3
Sacharnomics 24
Chapter 4
Kingdom World View 27
Chapter 5
Back to the Future 30
Chapter 6
A Lesson from History 36
Chapter 7
Technology Based Lifestyle 47
Chapter 8
The Task of this Generation 54
INTRODUCTION
We are living through an historic and fundamental shift in the
foundations of society. A new civilization is presently being born. The
world you were born into no longer exists. A tectonic shift has eroded it;
welcome to the future! In Alvin Toffler's words, “We face the greatest
creative restructuring of all time.” LaMar Boschman thinks, as I do, that
“we are facing the kind of historic that lays some things in the grave
while midwifing the birth of other things.” It's the kind of epic change
that alters everything. We are blessed to be alive at such an epoch.
Many people know in theory that the world is changing (or more
accurately, that it has changed), but do not fully understand the extent
of change or its wider implications. This book is written to help you:
1. Understand the changing global context.
2. See the opportunities it presents you with and
3. Appreciate the demand for appropriate response at this time.
This book will also inspire in you the passion to rise up as a thought
leader and start shaping the future, according to divine architecture.
That fact is that every shift creates opportunities which can only be
exploited by people who see these opportunities. History reveals that
there are three kinds of people: people who make things happen,
people who watch things happening and people who wonder what-in-
the-world is happening. This book will equip and challenge you to
belong to the first category of people: those who make things happen.
4
Part one
5
1
WHEN CHANGE OCCURS
Change is constant. Things are ever changing. The fundamental

concepts of life make change inevitable. Coping with change can be
very challenging for us especially as we grow older. However
challenging it is for us to make changes, we have got to. Reason is
because there are consequences for refusal to change, the magnitude of
which depends on the demand that change places upon us. It was Tom
Peters who said, “If you don't like change, you are going to like
irrelevance even less.” Irrelevance is one of the consequences of not
accepting change. When people refuse to change with the changing
times they get stuck in a rut and become obsolete. They become plain
Jurassic. And then they start feeling marginalized and excluded. The new
order of things (the new economy) soon exhumes them from their
former positions. They eventually drift farther and farther away from
center of influence. Ask the Pharisees, who were the religious leaders of
the day until Jesus brought change, ask America, one time the pride and
dream of every nation.
After 1945, the period following the Second World War, favorable
circumstances saw America emerging as a global leader: the world was in
a state of ruins, Germany and Japan had been destroyed. Britain was
tired out: France shamed; Russia bled white. In China, war would
continue for another four years. Of the industrial democracies, only the
U.S, Canada and Australia had been spared misery in their homeland.
The U.S. economy accounted for a nearly a half of total world output in
1945, a proportion that it has never approached since as Michael Elliot
points out. The level of prosperity enjoyed by the U.S. was unrivalled.
There was a global consensus on the fact of American leadership. It was
6
Going Back to the Future
not an issue to be disputed. That is however, not the case today. As

Bernad Kouchner puts it, “The magic is gone”, and although several
aspects of America's innovation still inspire admiration among other
nations and will continue to do so for some time it is clear that America
no longer occupies her former position. The reason? Shift happened;
the world moved on and America was caught napping. It had to take
9/11 for many Americans to wake up to reality.
Michael Elliot has observed that the old assumption that American
culture will sweep the planet no longer holds good. The world's
economic center of gravity has shifted from the Atlantic to the Pacific.
In Dr. Noel Woodroffe's words. “The thing that once favored America
has turned its back it seems on her and now favors China.” India is
presently making impressive advancement towards becoming a future
technological superpower, while China is emerging as an economic
superpower. They are both growing at annual rates of over 8%.
In 1945 America had a monopoly of modernity. Well, it no longer does.

A new world has emerged. People are finding new definitions. They are
learning, for example, that modernization is possible without
westernization. Says Elliot, “The social and economic attributes of
modernity have taken shape without the trappings of democracy.” And
as a result several nations have come to discover new ways of being
modern, that do not follow the path blazed by America. The main
reason for this, perhaps, is the fact that the conditions which created
leadership and followership in the post-1945 world are gone, and they're
not coming back. When the times change big time, everything changes.
It's just like in a game of chess. Each time any of the players makes a
move the whole board becomes an entirely different 'field' altogether. In
order to win, the player whose turn it is to make the next move needs to
understand afresh the new configuration of the 'officers' on the board
before making his move.
7
Boschman was right when he said, “we live out our lives in continuous
endings and beginnings. We are always letting go of something,
constantly awakening to new shapes and sounds.” Life is in phases. God
created time as a management tool for manipulating everything that
happens on earth. Time is what prohibits everything from happening
together at the same time. Time sectors, partitions and
compartmentalizes earthly reality. What we call history is simply a study
of times gone by, our ability to understand the structure of the times and
seasons is a measure of our wisdom, besides being a key index in
determining how successful we will be in life.
Again, time manipulates everything on earth! God designed everything

to unleash its perfection within the perimeters of a time grid. “For
everything there is a season and a time for every purpose under
heaven…He (God) has made everything beautiful in its time.” How
utterly suggestive is this quotation, taken from Ecclesiastes chapter 3.
To every purpose…a time! Flowers have a time to bloom: caterpillars
have a time when they become butterflies.
What Time Is It Anyway?
If it is true that everything that happens or that will ever happen in life
has been scheduled to happen within a timeframe, then knowledge of
the times is vital to our survival, not to mention success. Those who
know how to tell times will be greatly valued, especially in the days ahead.
They will be fore-armed. They possess the greatest tool for shaping the
future. We should always be asking ourselves, what time is it? Meaning,
“What is most suitable for this time? What is this time conditioned to
bring forth, and what should be my response to it? In the heat of the
Vietnam War, one man successfully used this model of assessment to
not only survive the war, but also to win a few victories. That man was Lt.
Col. Hal Moore.
8
Rick Joyner tells Hal's story in his book on Leadership. Hal commanded
st th
the 1 Battalion, 7 Calvary in the central highlands of Vietnam. Once in
the course of the war he and his troops found themselves in a
communist stronghold, and surrounded by enemies that outnumbered
them like four or five to one. Fierce fighting commenced, which actually
lasted for days. Hal's men fought bravely. Half of them were dead by the
fourth day, but by far, greater casualties had been inflicted on the
enemies. While debriefing the Colonel's men, the United States General
were notified of a certain behavior of Hal's. Many a time in the heat of
deadly battle Hal would withdraw into himself and literally shut off
everybody. Asked to explain the reason for this strange behavior, Hal
said he always did that to tune out all distractions so he could answer
three questions:
1. What is happening?
2. What is not happening?
3. What can I do to influence what is happening?
Needless to say not only were the Generals satisfied with his answer but
they went ahead to institute it as a basic procedure for commanders in
battle.
Says Rick Joyner, “If we are going to be effective leaders we must have a
basis for understanding the present and determining what we can do
about the future.” The children of Issachar were such a people who had
the skill of understanding times and seasons, and because of this they
were able to advice Israel on the right course of action at all times.
Big Time Losers

Regret for what we did in the past is bearable. It is regret for what we
failed to do that is unbearable. Many people wish they had done things
differently in the past. Countless millions would pay any amount of
money to go back into their past just so they could do something they
9
failed to do. Time is a teacher, unfortunately, many of the lessons of

time come a little too late.
History is fraught with examples of people who either could not tell the
times or who read the times wrongly. Consider the demise of
Encyclopedia Britannica, one of the strongest and well-known brand
names in the world. Since 1990, sales of Britannica's multi-volume sets
have plummeted by more than 50%. CD-ROMs came from nowhere
and devastated the printed encyclopedia business as we traditionally
understand it.
How did this happen? The Encyclopedia Britannica sells for

somewhere in the neighborhood of $1,500 to $2,000. An encyclopedia
on CD-ROM, such as Microsoft Encarta, sells for around $50. While it
costs between $200 to $300 to produce a set of printed encyclopedias, it
costs only $1.50 to produce a CD-ROM. Britannica's most competitive
asset was its high quality and objective information. It is probable that
when Encarta made it debut, Britannica's executives dismissed Encarta
as being a serious threat (because Encarta seemed to them a little like
junk news), and so they did nothing about the development. This is
where they made a mistake: they did not understand what their
customers were really buying. Most buyers of the Britannica were not
doing so for its intellectual content. Parents, for example, were buying it
because they wanted to invest in their children's future. They wanted to
do what is right. With the birth of the computer however, definition of
what is right changed. Parents wanting to invest in their children's
future would rather buy them a PC or a laptop. The computer then was
Britannica's competition. Unable to survive, Britannica's owners finally
sold out.
Other popular stories of corporations who misread the times include

IBM, whose chief executive said he could only see a market for five PCs
10
globally; and Western Union, but it is the story of how Israel as a nation
completely missed her season of opportunity that best presents us with
lessons as we embark upon going back to the future.
How the Nation of Israel Loss Out

The adoring crowd went wild with hysteria. More and more people
joined in the procession abandoning their self in that moment of
epiphany when they recognized, as the lyrics of their Hosanna chorus
proclaimed, that the one sitting on the ass was Israel's king. No one
could restrain the mob. Palm fronds soared into the air, and garments
adorned the well-beaten path as the ass slowly made its way up the hills
of Olivet, just overlooking Jerusalem. Bible commendation refers to
this event on the triumphant entry.
The Temple in Jerusalem came into full view from the position. The
front walls of that magnificent edifice were plated with gold, which
dazzled and shimmered in the sun's full glare. I love the way someone
described it. He said, “From the top of Mount Olivet the temple
looked resplendent, glaring in the setting sun. Unknown to the crowd,
the sun was setting on their nation too”.
The hysteria continued. The crowd roared and cheered.
Blinded by religion, and poisoned with a sense of their own spiritual

importance some of the Pharisees cried out from the crowd, asking
Jesus to stop this blasphemy. But Jesus rebuked them.
Then the strangest thing happened. Jesus burst into tears amid the
joyful throng and began sobbing like a Hebrew woman as He motioned
the procession to come to a halt. The anguish in His heart was great, as
11
was His compassion for Jerusalem. The thronging crowd hushed, not
knowing the cause of this sudden outburst. Finding words to articulate
His prophetic grief Jesus began saying: “If you known, even you,
especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But
now they are hidden from your eyes. For the days will come upon you
when enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and
close you in on every side, and level you and your children within you, to
the ground: and they will not leave in you one stone upon another,
because you did not know the time of your visitation.” He was
addressing Jerusalem as though she were human.
A couple of days later, Jesus making His final visit to the temple,
declared, “Your house is forsaken and desolate.” This prophecy was
fulfilled in 70 AD. It was a very sad day in the history of Israel as a nation,
but the tragedy could have been averted.
That whole gory episode which ensued was needless. Jesus said it would
happen only because the people failed to interpret the times accurately.
Consequently, they could not tell the things that were necessary for their
peace (stability, welfare, prosperity).
Whenever we read this account we are quick to berate the Jews and their
leaders for being so blind and ignorant. We wonder how it is that they
managed to miss identifying such an epoch in their history, but the
question is if we had been in their shoes would we have known? Would
you?
Can we say with utmost fidelity that we understand the times in which we
live? And, can claim that our actions have been guided by such
knowledge? Can you? There comes a time when not knowing, when
ignorance, could prove very costly as it did here.
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What Did Israel not know?

“If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that
make for your peace…” Israel did not know:
1. That it was her day.

2. The things that make for her peace.
3. Her season of visitation.
What further deductions could be made from this episode?
1. There is a time when that knowledge is vital. “Oh that at this time
you knew, yes, even you, on what your peace depends! But now it is hidden
from your eyes”. (Montgomery New Testament).
2. There are a people for whom lack of sight is intolerable. ('…
even you')
What You Must Know Today:
1. The world has changed and a new spiritual economy is

emerging.
2. The world you now live in is not the one you were born into
several years ago.
3. A shift has taken place necessitating formation of new
paradigms altogether.
4. All of the familiar patterns of life are being irrevocably altered;
you need a new map of reality a new way of seeing the world.
Fortunately, we are still in the interval between the decay of the Old and
the formation of the New. We are in that wrenching period where
elements of the dying age exist along-side elements of the emerging age.
Only people who can break free of every competing loyalty to the dying
13
age and align themselves with the emerging age stand a chance of
making effective transition into the new world.
Counting the Losses

70AD is a year that will go down as one of the saddest in the history of a
nation accustomed to wars, intense persecution and immense suffering -
the Jewish nation. Some people say they are a blessed nation; but may be
they are not. May be they are a cursed people; cursed not by God but by
their own actions; by the choices they made in the past. Cursed by their
blindness!
Titus' army surrounded Jerusalem on all sides. No one came in, and all
who went out fell into the hands of waiting soldiers, who put them to
death by crucifixion.
As many as 500 people were put to death in a single day, and for shortage
of crosses, 2 or 3 people were seldom crucified on the same cross.
Epidemic broke out as many as 100,000 were buried in single day.
Things got so bad that people were eating cow dung, the leather on their
shields, belts and shoes and whatever else was edible. In time a wave of
cannibalism swept over the entire realm. People started eating one
another for sheer survival. The story is told of a woman who killed and
ate her only son. The tale is endless. The lesson in this is that whenever
people fail to be proactive about the future they spend much of that
future in crisis management.
Surprisingly, not everyone in Jerusalem was taken unawares by the event.

There were people who knew it would happen. 40 years earlier, Jesus had
predicted it. He had told them WHY and had given them SIGNS to
watch out for (signs are means by which one can recognize the time).
Jesus had likewise advised on the RIGHT COURSE OF ACTION to
take. He said “when you see… flee.”, and flee they did. They all fled to
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Pella. The lesson? It is possible for us to know the times. Often, there are
signs or indicators that can guide us into proper interpretation of the
times and seasons. Most importantly, we must realize that knowing the
times does no one any good unless one understands the thing to do as
well.
15
2
HOW CAN ONE KNOW THE TIMES?
In the previous chapter we made reference to the carnage which
occurred in Jerusalem in AD 70 simply because Israel did not have an
understanding of the times. In Matt.16:3, we see Jesus rebuking the
Pharisees for not being able to interpret the times. Reading the scripture
in Hosea 4:6 which says: “My people are destroyed for lack of
knowledge” we are quick to think it is referring only to the knowledge of
God's word; but that is not necessarily right. In the scripture we made
reference to earlier on. Jerusalem did not destruct for lack of knowledge
of the word of God (which at the time refers to the laws of Moses and
the writings of the prophets). The Jewish leaders all knew that Messiah
would come; what they were ignorant of was the timing. What they did
not know was the hour of visitation. This failure led to their not
knowing the factors and corresponding action necessary for their peace.
No wonder Jesus calls the Pharisees in Matt. 15:14, “blind leaders of the
blind” In the Old Testament two sets of people were shown to have
understanding of times and seasons:
1. The prophets
2. The sons of Issachar.
In Psalms 74, Asaph the prophetic psalmist, says; “We do not see our
signs; there is no longer any prophet; nor is there any among us who
knows how long” (vv. 9)
The phrase, “neither is there any among us…” that's where Issachar fits
in.
There are at least three ways we can get to know the times. They are:
16
1. By going back to the future this entails gaining foresight

through the benefit of hindsight. I also refer to this as the 'déjà
vu factor'
2. Through prophetic administration
3. Through Trend Analysis
The issue of going back to the future is dealt with extensively in Session
Two of this book. We shall likewise consider very briefly the whole issue
of The Prophetic in a later chapter. For now let's take a brief look at
trend analysis.
Tracking Trends
Tracking trends is a way of seeing where we are, how we got there, and
where we're going Gerald Celente.
Why is it Important for us to Understand the Trends?

To enable us better answer this question, let us see how trend analysis
works. Trend analysts spot and isolate important trends from out of the
fads and monitor them closely to see if they are viable and if they take
hold and grow (Because all trends, like every living thing, go through a
life cycle. They obey the same organic processes: they are seeded or
fertilized gestate, are born, grow, mature, age and die).
By projecting trends forward, trend analysts are able to forecast how the
events of today will affect our life and the life of society tomorrow. Says
Gerald Celente, Founder of the Trends Research Institute. “By taking
advantage of this method, you will be able to proact. You don't have to
just watch things happen. You can take positions, and influence positive
trends or try to reverse negative trends. Trends can be managed on the
personal level and also, when critical mass is achieved, on the wider
scale”.
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The whole idea is for us to be conscious of the world around us, keep
abreast of the forces impacting our society and be able to act positively
and intelligently instead of just reacting blindly and automatically, which
is what we are bound to do as the changes cascade upon us.
Most folks only react. They let others to shape the future and then they
come into it to live out these people's visions (and versions) of the
future. We can actually be agents of change, rather than end-products of
one created by others especially the ungodly.
No longer should it be said that “the children of this world are… wise
than the children of the kingdom. The main reason they have been
'wiser' in the past is because we have been religious. Being religious is not
the same thing as being spiritual. Religion is dull and unintelligent. A
religious person is prone to fanaticism, superstition and irrational
behavior.
True spirituality quickens the intellect, sharpens the mind and unleashes
the Spirit.
There are folks who think that our pre-occupation should be only with
spiritual matters. They tend to feel guilty about excelling in 'natural'
endeavors. They think it decreases their spiritual aptitude. The spiritual
realm and the natural world are not necessarily at variance with each
other; they are not mutually exclusive. It is the senses (by that I mean the
mind governed by earthly reasoning) that the Bible portrays as being
contrary to the Spirit.
Jesus was the most spiritual man to ever walk the earth, yet He was not a
spooky, reclusive or an intellectual reject. In fact in Him we see the gap
bridged between the spiritual and the physical.
Trend-tracking also enables intelligent, management decision making.

18
This is applicable to our private lives as well as our corporate lives. By

utilizing this approach, we will know, for example, when to sow seeds,
enter into intercession, and engage in warfare etc. It's all about
government and management. The people of the world seek to know
the future so that they can exploit it, own it, monopolize it, control it and
manipulate less-knowledgeable folks to their own advantage, but it is for
a different reason that we aspire know the future.
The Isaacharian Dimension

The twelve tribes of Israel represent the full stock of God. They are a
prophetic metaphor of the Church in the New Testament. One of the
twelve tribes that constitute the nation of Israel is the tribe of Issachar;
whose men were endowed with unique abilities for spotting, tracking
and interpreting trends impacting upon their lives with a view to
designing and or determining the right course of action for Israel to
take.
The men of Issachar were not prophets. This trait, though prophetic in
nature (as are all the Arts) was not a mainstream administration of the
prophetic unction. The reason I know that is because anointing is never
conducted along natural bloodline. One cannot say, for example,
“Because my father is anointed. I am likewise anointed”. Neither can
one say “Everybody belonging to such and such a tribe carries a
particular anointing” Anointing does not flow through the DNA
structure.
What the Isaacharians had could be transmitted along bloodlines. It was

an aptitude, a skill, an intelligence which could be taught and learned in
the exact way a businessman in the Kalahari can teach his son to track
games.
Not much is written in the Bible about Issachar, as a person. Apart from
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his birth perhaps the only other reference was to the blessing of Jacob.
Every other information concerns the tribe. The principle that defined
their identity was this ability to understand the times. What was it that
predisposed them to this ability? May be it was just the grace of God;
and may be they had a lifestyle that supported this trait. Perhaps they
mastered the art of trend analysis because of a rich culture of
transmitting history down the generations. A few points lend themselves
unto the reason for Issachar's ability to discern times and seasons.
1. Jacob's blessing in Gen. 49:14 identifies Issachar as a strong

donkey that 'saw' that rest was good and that the land was
pleasant. Thus Jacob's blessing released a dimension of foresight
into him.
2. In the encampment of the Israelites in the wilderness, three

tribes encamped in the east side, towards (or facing) the rising of
the sun. They were Judah, Issachar and Zebulon. In facing the
east, they were the first to sight the rising sun, signaling the dawn
of a new day. This was significant.
3. Numbers chapter two gives a detailed account of how the twelve

tribes encamped according to their armies, each tribe by his own
banner or flag. (Num. 2:2). Each of the tribes had its own flag,
the color of which was according to the stone representing each
tribe on the breastplate of Aaron. Furthermore, each flag had an
ensign for embroidery which was determined by Jacob's
blessing.
Reuben's stone was ruby and the color of his flag was red; and
embroidered thereon were mandrake. Issachar's was a sapphire
and the color of his flag was black like stibium, and embroidered
thereon was the sun and the moon, in allusion to the text “And of
20
the children of Issachar, men that had understanding of the

times”. Rabi Hillel Ben David.
The church today needs this Issacharian dimension. We need to

know how to accurately define what is happening around us, in
the light o our perception of what God is doing. The
Issacharian concept does not contradict the prophetic. Both are
needed. The prophetic supplies the gaps left in the Isaacharian
approach.
Where Do Trends Come From?

What causes change?
Time: Time passes; time changes, things grow old and vanish away and
are succeeded by other things just as glorious. The very nature of
different times and
seasons facilitates the formation of certain realities, it is like when
people say, there is nothing as wonderful as an idea whose time has
come.
Cause and Effect: Closely linked with the time factor, historically
determined forces also produce change. What does this mean? It means
that seed sowed yesterday eventually result in a harvest. Technological
advancement and scientific discoveries etc. that happen in time shape
the direction of the world. The Climate Change along with its attendant
consequences is a good example of cause and effects. Several years ago
Booker T. Washington, the African- American educator of the post-
slavery era, captured this principle well when he said; “every year adds to
the black man's number, every year adds to his knowledge. These will
speak for him someday.” And speak they did, when on that Tuesday,
Barrack Obama was elected as American's first black president.
The Human Factor: Human action accounts for much of the changes
that happen in our world. Many of the wars that have devastated our
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planet that been fought because somebody somewhere refused to be

reasonable, was egotistic or greedy. Wars have led to trans-national
migration, and depleted economies and lives, imbalance in woman- men
ratio of war-thorn regions and so on.
Governing princes: This refers to the action of satanic realities on

earth. One beautiful scripture reads thus: You were made alive when you were
dead in transgressions and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of
this world, according to the prince of the powers of the air, the spirit who now works in
the children of disobedience. (Eph. 2: 1-2) The word, 'world' used in the
above scripture is translated from aeon and not cosmos: Cosmos refers to
the earth crust, or the universe, while aeon refers to the ages, the
dispensations, the social order, The scripture says the prince of the
power of the air is the one who determines the course ( path, direction)
of this world.
Sovereignty: This is the singular, most important factor, God. He

created the worlds, and sustains it through the word of his power. He
changes times and seasons, and does whatever He pleases in the army of
heaven. He has appointed the various times when each people group
will have the opportunity of coming into global prominence.
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3
SACHARNOMICS
Sacharnomics is an integrated approach to Future Casting that

synthesizes the prophetic and trend analysis within the environment of
a Kingdom worldview. It is also a system of thinking that creates a
portal for us to gaze into the future.
Sacharnomics is a word I coined out of 'Issachar', a people who in the

past were reputed for their skill in accurate understanding of the times;
and 'nemein', which means 'to manage or administrate'.
Sacharnomics is not just about analyzing trends. It's about gaining a

clear understanding of what God is doing or saying. Trend analysts are
concerned with facts while Ssacharomians are concerned with truth. We
seek to understand underlying causes, and intentions.
It does not matter whether you like this word or not, what matters is that
as people of God, who are called to be the light of the world, we should
not be in the dark with regard to knowing what is happening all around
us.
Someone has said that the Church is on a collision course with reality.
For long we've been suffering a serious break with reality but it was
unknown to us. We have been blind to our paralysis and deep
dysfunctionality in the midst of the nations, and so instead of impacting
the nations redemptively and bringing the true blessings of God upon
them as we were called to do we were building a cyst around ourselves
and constructing a Christian world.
This generation has been called to live differently and to act in divine
intelligence. If we must get results that previous generation before us
did not have we must learn to live and function out of a different
24
paradigm.
Is the World to Educate Us?

A very legitimate question to ask is: Are we to take a que from the world?
Are we to be influenced by events happening in the world? This is how
some people see trend analysis. Behind this question is a mentality
which acknowledges the heresy of dualism. This heresy proposes that:
(1) There is a secular and a spiritual world, and they exist as separate
entities.
(2) God is in the spiritual and not in the secular. Hence,

anything secular is anti-God and everything spiritual is of God.
For a long time, acceding to this though - whether knowingly or

unknowingly - the Church has been imprisoned within her four walls
and four hours every Sundays. Was it not George Whitefield who said,
'The world is my parish'? That man saw beyond the limiting walls that
keep our influence from reaching the very people to whom we are sent.
The reformation thought is bringing us to realize that God is sovereign

over all the earth, and that His activities are not limited to church
gatherings. In studying the life of Jesus we find that most of His
ministry (healings, deliverance, raising of the dead and so on) were not
conducted within a formal church (or synagogue) setting, but out there
in the real world, where people are; where businesses thrive.
And so to answer our question, “Are we to be influenced by events

happening in the world?” We ask another question, “who is behind
much of those events happening in the so-called world?”
This question would no doubts be very difficult for someone who does
not understand the sovereignty of God: someone who has a very
simplistic mindset, who thinks that if it's good then it's God, and if it's bad
then it's the devil. Let us briefly consider this issue by understanding the
sovereignty of God:
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1. The sovereignty of God
Sovereignty is defined as having undisputed ascendancy, possessed of

supreme power, unlimited in extent. The meaning of the word suggests
absolute reality. -Marlon Jameson
The concept of God's sovereignty is not new to us but its application

has nor been very accurate or complete. Some folks perceive God's
sovereignty as a counter response to Satan's initiatives. Some other folks
see God's sovereignty only as it relates to His purpose within the
churches or Christendom.
We have got to disempowered wrong positions and wrong beliefs on our

inside, if we are ever going to gain deeper understanding of God.
The sovereignty of God implies that He ultimately determines the

outcome of all events to His satisfaction. He declares the final judgment
concerning all matters. The notion that events unfold randomly and
without design upon the planet runs counter to the belief that God is
sovereign.
God's influence spans the entire earth. Jesus is Lord in all realms of
reality and relativity. Even where He does not appear to rule He
overrules. Nothing is out of His control. He is the Most High.
Isa.14:24-27 declares that He has but one purpose in all the earth. “This
is the purpose… over the nations.” This is the over-arching purpose.
God has ordered every natural event to fit into the architecture of that
one purpose. Heads He wins, tails he wins. Nothing can work against
His purpose.
2. If it's Good is God; if its bad it's the Devil
This statement is true only to the degree that our definitions of good
and evil are in sync with God's own definitions. When we say 'good'
often times we mean what is comfortable to the flesh. We lack sufficient
depth to truly know what is good and what is not. Also, because our
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physical existence is finite we do not live long enough to see the

conclusion of certain things we though were either good or bad. We
tend to isolate events and make judgments on the merit of their
immediate status. We fail to see the link to larger objectives. A particular
situation may appear to be negative (or bad) but when we fit them into
the larger picture and understand the plot we immediately see that it is
good.
In the year that King Uzziah died Isaiah saw the Lord in His exalted
within the context of rulership. 'High and lifted up' is how Isaiah
describes God's undisputed ascendancy. The seraphim, gazing upon the
unlimited scope and reach of God's authority, perceive the vastness of
God beyond the curvature of time and exclaim, “the whole earth is full
of His glory!'
The whole earth? Full? But, what about the wars, the famines, the
sufferings and all the negative stuff in the world? From that place of
elevated sight where the seraphim are, all you can see is God. The design
of God supercedes every satanic device and swallows them up. Here all
things fit together for good.
Have you never read Isa.45:7 where God says “I form the light and
create darkness. I make peace and create calamity: I, the LORD, do all
these things”? I cannot claim to know how God's judgment works or
how His sovereignty operates. I just know that He can and does work
through what we perceive as evil, to bring forth good.
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4
KINGDOM WORLD VIEW
What is a World View?
A world view is simply the way you look at yourself and the world
around you. Fon Jenson says: “Your world view, of course, is how you
view the world. It is the set of presuppositions - that which is believed
before hand.” This underlies all of our decisions and actions. These
presuppositions (our world view) determine our thinking patterns
which in turn influence our action. Our world view may be conscious or
unconscious, but it determines our destiny and the destiny of the society
we live in.
The way many of us view the world has not been accurate.
Some way or the other we saw the church as the only legitimate domain
for God to do things. We felt that like us God was not very comfortable
interacting with the secular world. And that whenever He does so, it is
only because He is trying to bring salvation to the lost, or is intervening
on the behalf of some Christian somewhere. In our minds we could not
see the world as His domain.
The Gospel of the Kingdom is now liberating our minds from that
faulty paradigm. The understanding of the Kingdom of God is enabling
us to see that the Church is only a part of His Kingdom. It may be the
defining principle, but it is still just a part of God's Kingdom. And it is
not synonymous with the Kingdom.
LaMar Boschman believes that a glorious future for the Church will
follow a revelation about the difference between the Church and the
kingdom. The Church will exhaust her illusions about her role and find a
new sense of perspective on her relationship to Him and a new
understanding about the scope of His work.
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Besides gaining a purer understanding of what God's Kingdom is our

definition of church has to change as well. When that word is
pronounced it evokes images of what we knew previously - a building or
a gathering - neither of which properly represents what Jesus had in
mind when He said, 'I will build my church.'
We must come to realize that the measure of rule and influence of God
is over everything. His jurisdiction is All Things!
God's method of getting His purposes accomplished in the earth often

requires that He does something or moves outside the walls of the
church.
And the actions of God outside of church are no less significant or

miraculous or important. Like when God needed to bring to pass the
word spoken by Jeremiah. He moved in the secular realm of Persia,
found a man called Cyrus, and put His anointing on Him even though
He was not a Jew. It's as if God was just breaking the rules. I like the way
Dr. Woodroffe explains it, he says God is always pushing back the
boundaries of reality so the kingdom of God can enter into new places.
In considering worldview we aren't dealing with God in the more

personal aspects of His interaction with man on an individual level. We
are looking at the nature of God at the macro (global) level of His
interaction with humanity.
There are micro operations of God's transaction with man. This covers
His interest in the little and even mundane aspects of our life. Such as
healing a headache or providing us with a new GSM phone, but the
macro operations of God includes His interactions with the systems of
the world. It includes issues of global governance and cosmic
management.
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Part Two
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5
BACK TO THE FUTURE
The past two decades were filled with a cocktail of pain and sadness,
hope and anticipation, fear and confusion, ambiguity and uncertainty,
gloom and error. Not many people could place their finger on what was
happening but we all knew that things were not the same, somehow.
As the last millennium drew to a close that feeling was described as

millennium fever, Doomsday prophets and armagedonites predicted
that Jan 1, 2000 would be the end of the world. Scientists and Futurists
even spoke of such things as the millennium bug which would grind
every computer to a halt on the said date. Aquarian Age proponents of
the New Age order predicted a global renaissance which would usher in
the long touted Utopian hope of universal leisure and infinite
abundance but alas, Jan 1, 2000 came and well, nothing happened! None
of those predictions came to pass and yet, somehow that fever has not
left us. Maybe it is more than just a millennium fever. Maybe, it is our
minds grappling to understand the transition that is taking place across
the world. Maybe it is the result of being tossed upon unfamiliar waters
of the interregnum between a dying age and an emergent one.
One thing is for sure: in the words of Bob Dylan, “The times they are a-
changing”. The times are always changing. Always have! So what makes
this one very special? Is it because it is a processional age? Perhaps.
The Precession
One of the changes taking place in this twenty-first century is the over-
throw in whole or in part of empirical science. The emergence of
techno-paganism (which is defined as 'the convergence of
neopaganism and the New Age with digital technology and fringe
computer culture') is threatening scientific authorities whose consensus
is the final, irrefutable verdict, in western culture, on what is true and
what is not. Such is the stupendous level of authority that science
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wields!
Over time instrumental reason (the basis of which is logic) armed with
scientific process, has systematically dismantled and eroded much of
the spiritual worldview. Because science is based on the testimony of the
senses, the assertion is that whatever cannot be seen, smelt, felt, tasted,
heard or analyzed in the laboratory does not exist. Isn't that ridiculous?
To submit oneself to this system of thinking is to live in a very narrow
world, in denial of most of the realities that surround us.
This is a conspiracy that has lasted for centuries, but now the foundation
for such assumption is being brought under scrutiny. Modern science is
under siege. The scientific premise is no longer broad enough to answer
the many questions arising in different spheres of life these days.
Modern science needs to be augmented; or restructured, scientism is big
shamed.
The mathematician, Godfrey Harold Hardy, has asserted that, “there

exists meaningful mathematical statements that are neither provable,
nor disprovable, now or ever.. because the very nature of logic renders
them incapable of resolution”.
For this reason many are resorting to ancient or fringe science like
metaphysics, hypnosis and astrology for answers in related challenges.
More on this later.
Precession of the Equinoxes

Ancient science recognizes a phenomenon known as “precession of the
equinoxes”. What does this mean? Gerald Celente explains this
phenomenon very excellently in His book, 'Trends 2000'. He says: “Due
to a wobble of the earth on its own axis (like a spinning top that wobbles
until it slows down), the Earth very slowly changes its relationship to the
great circle of the heavens, the familiar zodiac (or Mazaroth as the Bible
calls it in the book of Job).
“Each morning the sun rises against the backdrop of a constellation, or

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astronomical/astrological sign. This backdrop is actually constant, but

due to the wobble of the Earth, the zodiac appears to move backward.
The zodiacal sign against which the sun rises shifts, or “precesses”, very
gradually.
“Over the course of 25,920 years, the sun at the equinox (about March
22 and September 22) 'precesses' or moves backward through the entire
circle of twelve astrological signs.
“This is what is responsible for the so called ages. It takes one-twelfth of

25,920 years, or 2,160 years (approximately 2000 years) for the sun to
precess or move backward through one sign. So, the Age of Taurus is
followed by the age of Aries, and then by the Age of Pisces, and so on.
“At the moment the sun rises against the last degrees of the sign Pisces.
Soon, it will rise against or “the sign of Aquarius, signaling the dawn the
dawn of the Age Aquarius”. This is why arbiters of the New Age refer
to it as the Aquarian Age.
It is believed that the movement from one Age to another is

characterized by “drastic upheavals in human history. Let us take a walk
down the corridors of time to see if history bears this out.
2000 BC
I am not a trained historian, nor do I claim to be a theologian, but then
one does not need to be a rocket scientist to know that every 2000 years,
in the history of God's transaction with mankind, notable changes have
been brought forth, which have radically altered the course of human
life on earth. For example, archaeologists and historians of impeccable
accuracy have shown that the various systems of pagan mythology
originated in Babel, Mesopotamian, in the time of Nimrod, shortly
before 2000 BC. It was about this time that monotheism (the worship
of one “high God') degenerated into pantheism, polytheism and
animism. (New gods emerged on the scene).
During this period God had to scatter the human race all over the earth.
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It was within the early second millennium, shortly after 2000 BC that
God began to deal with the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
2000 Years Earlier

2000 years earlier, God moved, as Genesis chapter 1 reveals, to reform
planet earth, which had been thrown into a chaotic mass, following
Lucifer's rebellion.
2000 Years After Nimrod

We had earlier dated Nimrod's era to sometime before 2000 BC. A little
after 2000 years later, Eastern astrologers sighted “the star of
Bethlehem” signaling the advent of Pisces a symbol of early
Christianity was the fish. You probably still see it around. Ever
wondered why that symbol came from?
The coming of Jesus re-ordered history, saw the dismantling of the

complex mosaic system with its priesthood and rituals, and the adoption
of gentile nations into the divine agenda.
2000 Years after Jesus

Here we are, in the thresholds of a new millennium. An age is dying and
a new age is being born. But what does it matter? Is it necessary to know
all this 'complicated stuff'? Why bother ourselves with all these 'history
lessons'? Isn't it just okay to know that God loves us and wants the best
for us? Is it really necessary to dig into the nitty-gritty? Aren't these
issues about stars and ages a bit scary? Even occult or too mystical?
What has this stuff got to do with Christianity?
Why You Must Know

In the very words of John Paul Jackson, “There are moments in history
when door for massive change opens, and great revolutions, for good or
evil, spring up in the vacuum created by these openings. In these divine
moments, key men and women and even entire generations risk
everything to become the hinge of history the pivotal point that
determines which way the door will swing”.
We are in one of such historic moments, and as usual, the children of

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this world seem to be wiser. They are tracking the trends, synthesizing
their projections and seeking to see how the events of today will impact
on our life and the life of society tomorrow. And what is the church
doing?
Sleep-walking into the Future!
An albatross is a type of bird that sometimes sleeps while they're flying:

they don't see what is ahead of them. We cannot afford in this manner to
venture thus into a future-less future nor are we content with being
pawns in a future dictated by the ungodly.
Stuck in the quagmire of religiosity and plagued with fears or arrogance

resulting from inaccurate theology and ignorance many believers often
fail to see the need to get involved in the world around them. And yet we
are quick to claim that “the earth is the Lord's and the fullness
thereof…” It makes good preaching to say we are the light of the world,
but for all practical purposes we have truly abdicated this responsibility.
It was Dr. Noel Woodroffe that once said, “The problem with the
Church is not the devil. The real problems are: lazy saints and ignorant
believers. Intellectual laziness has been the major bane of most Church
folks. The Berean legacy of study and research needs to be recovered in
the present church order.
You ask if it is necessary to have a little knowledge of history. You ask

why we bother ourselves with all these “complicated stuff ” I will tell you
why!
Much of the pride and arrogance that keep us from being united in the
Body of Christ today stems from our not having sufficient knowledge
of history - ours and others'.
Much of the confusion and misinterpretation that occurs whenever we

delve into prophetic books like Daniel and Revelations wouldn't occur if
we had a good knowledge of history; for then we'd know that a good
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number of the things written there have already been fulfilled.
It is true that our present has been shaped by a set of conditions and
historically determined forces in the past; and that by the same token our
future is being shaped by events and realities occurring in the present. It
follows that the future is an outcome of the past. This suggests to us that
the key to understanding the future lies in our being able to understand
the past backward look for forward thrust.
The Bible itself is as much a history book as any other. The scripture is
fraught with instances where God charged the children of Israel to
sustain the culture of transmitting history through oral tradition. We can
safely conclude after reading a couple of those scripture references that
God seems to think that having a grasp of their history would influence
their choices and actions. The truth is that history provides us with
perspective.
In recent times there has been a lot of talk about the prophetic. Since
God opened the prophetic realm over the global Church somewhere
between 1986 and 1988 more and more believers have become aware of
prophetic office and functionality, and many more are seeking to grow
in the prophetic.
Developing competence in the prophetic however, does not come by

just having an anointing. Oftentimes prophetic revelations could be
misinterpreted when one does not have a good knowledge of history. In
seeking to interpret prophetic visions or impressions our prejudices
and/or pet doctrines color our interpretations, which is why the school
of the prophets instructed not only in doctrine but also in history,
poetry, music and secular literature.
st
To be an effective 21 century prophet one has got to have a biblical
world view that is not strewn by ignorance and religions superstitions.
These are only a few reasons why we must know some history. The
prophet, Rick Joyner, who himself is a student of history, once said,
“those who do not know history are doomed to repeat it”.
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6
A LESSON FROM HISTORY
It was quite a brilliant observation made by Rick Joyner, when he said:

“One of the significant common denominators found among the
biblical prophets is their amazing knowledge of history. The second
most revealing characteristic may be their expansive knowledge of
current events. Rick is of the opinion that possibly the greatest
distinguishing characteristic between those we consider “major” or
“minor” prophets is the span of their basic knowledge of both history
and current events upon which the Lord was able to impart a
correspondingly broad vision.
Accurately foreseeing the future is going to be of utmost importance, as

we approach the changing of the age, and we have a duty especially
those of us in leadership - to accurately discern the future. It has always
been the duty of leadership to provide vision for those whom they
influence.
In its simplest definition, vision is a concept of what is not yet real. It is

seeing things the way thing could be. The genius of formulating vision
is the ability to look beyond the curvature of time, and onto the future.
Seeing into the future is not always a function of foresight, quite often
the power of hindsight lends great assistance to this process.
History repeats itself.
“There is nothing new under the sun” is how the preacher captures this
truth (Ec. 1: 9). A casual glance at history reveals repetitive patterns.
History is made by the activity of men. Since creation human nature has
remained basically the same it is human consciousness that changes
from time to time.
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It was Nnamdi Azikiwe who said one of the things history has taught us
is that people do not learn from history. This is a sad commentary in
deed. We choose to dissociate ourselves from the lot who repeat history
because of sheer ignorance. Let us time travel into the sixties and see
what we can glean from history. A casual glance reveals similar patterns
with trends appearing no, and this is quite disturbing.
Lesson from the Sixties

By nature as well as by training the artists of the world (writers,
filmmakers, musicians, painters, actors etc.) are more sensitive to shifts
in the tempo of the times than others. The United States has over the
years occupied a position of global leadership, charting the course, not
only in technological advancement but in the Arts as well, generating art
styles and trends that become universal or that simply influence other
cultures of the world.
Since World War II, English has become the world's second language.
“This language monopoly bestowed upon the United States an
incalculable but subtle power; the power to transform ideas, and
therefore lives, and therefore societies, and therefore the world”. -
Gerald Celente.
Ripples of social movements within the United States soon reach the
shores of other countries and particularly Africa. Africa looks up to
America as her big brother. Not only do Africans tend to replicate
trends emerging from the U.S, but they soon repeat its history.
In the sixties and seventies America experienced a major sociological

shift that we want to learn something from:
Music was used as a tool to prophesy and sustain the erosion of moral
foundation. The post-war depression and melancholy created an
atmosphere conducive for romantic sentimentality and bourgeons
secularism; and musicians like Frank Sinatra and Rosemary Clooney
defined a musical culture which was the right apt for time.
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However, a revolution broke out: a youth culture was born in revolt to

the sentimental culture, and the means of this revolt was the music that
derived from rhythm and blues the postwar commercial development
of Negro Blues. That music was Rock n' Roll.
Disgusted by rampant materialism, opposed to the Vietnam War and

turned on by psychedelic rabble rousers the youths found new ways to
express themselves. The Hippie Movement found its roots in this era.
Woodstock rock concert in 1969 was the blossom of the new sub-
culture which saw such groups as the Rolling Stones and the Who, in the
front rows with the Beatles prominently leading them.
New York Times writer McCandish Phillips analyzed the characteristics

of the new youth subculture minimum standard of dress, low standard
of cleanliness, passivity towards productive work, repudiation of
authority, lax sexual mores, acceptance of revolution, acceptance and
dependence upon drugs, interest in the occult”.
Though the Beatles were not responsible for everything, “they began it.
Set some of its most destructive styles, rode it like a wild steed; and the
Beatles made the big breakthrough into the West for yogism and
Eastern mysticism…” Rob Mackenzie, author of 'Bands, Boppers and
Believers', asks the question. “Did the Beatles know where they were
going? They were certainly the leaders of a massive cultural change
throughout the Western World”.
The Beatles were into all kinds of stuff: sexual exploitation of teenage
girls, occultism, smoking of pot and drug abuse, TM, alcohol, you name
it.
Peter Brown and Steven Grains, co-authors of a biography on the

Beatles observe that the Beatles, did not invent LSD or marijuana, and
they weren't the first to take it, but they always managed to be in the
forefront of a trend and then popularize it to an international level.
The collective effort of all key players in this era was the production of a
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generation which was godless, rebellious, riotous, ungoverned; loose,

involved with Eastern mysticism and Satanism, to say the least.
Today, that generation, known as the Baby Boomers are in their fifties
and sixties. They are the ones in Washington. They are responsible for
much of America's anti-God stances. The legalization of abortion and
gay marriages are only the fruit of a trend that started in the sixties.
The law of sowing and reaping is universal. It doesn't only apply to

Christians. We reap what we sow. America is certainly reaping what she
has allowed to grow. The question now is, “could it have been
stopped?”.
How do you hold back a force that powerful? How do you squelch an
idea whose time has come?
The Natural Mirrors the Spiritual

It is quite true that the social revolution of the sixties was 'an idea whose
time had come'. The right balance of forces was at play to ensure this.
However, a spiritual parallel was likewise true.
Quite often the natural realm only apes the spiritual. John Paul Jackson
was right when he said “there are moments in history when a door for
massive change opens, and great revolutions, for good and evil, spring
up in the vacuum created by such changes…” Which way the door
swings will be determined by whoever seizes the initiative. This is
because nature abhors vacuum. If good people do not rise up and act in
the season of opportunity despots will.
Had not the American church been stuck in a religious rut; had there
been prophets “in the House”, had the church been more proactive, had
she realized that it is her responsibility to govern the social space she
would have been the one to respond to that social vacuum.
I am told there was one or two spiritual initiatives, like the Jesus
Movement that came up afterwards but they could not take hold
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sufficiently and so could not counter the Hippie Movement. The

church was simply reacting, rather than acting. The boys and girls of
the world already had a head start.
Same Trends in Nigeria

The social sphere in Nigeria has in the last decade been bursting with
energy and a beehive of activities. The 'sudden' explosion in the
entertainment industry is a great source of concern for those who
understand the implications. Almost without warning the home video
began gaining unprecedented ascendancy to become the multi-million
naira industry that it is today.
Shortly afterwards the musical scene began to witness exponential

growth. The trigger point was when Tu Face Idibia of the defunct
'Plantation Boyz' went solo ditching the group. He literally opened the
floodgate of success for a new generation of young musicians. (His
album) Face II Face reportedly broke the one million unit sales mark in
its first month of release. It featured the smash hit, 'African Queen', on
the back of which he became the first African to win the Best African
Act at the MTB Base Award in 2005, as well as the MOBO Award the
following year” -Olusola Olaosebikan.
The unprecedented level of success he achieved, within a short space

of time spun the wheel for several other artists to task their creativity
and aspire to stardom beyond the shores o Nigeria. Since then new
groups like P-Square, the D'bang/Don Jazzy connection and other solo
artists like Weird MC, Sasha, Olu Maintain and 9ice, among a pool of
other emerging arts, have since swarm into the waters of a promising
industry.
In no time the musical videos were matching foreign videos, both in

picture quality (no thanks to Nollywood, perfecting the art of
cinematography and digital recording) as well as in the choreography
and production quality. It used to be that gigs and parties only featured
foreign stars like 50 Cents, Eminem, Sean Paul and the rest, but now the
“local” starts seem to have discovered their muse. The magic is almost
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electrifying.
Earlier on dance and choreography simply served as support for

musical videos, but dance has broken loose from its moorings, from just
enhancing musical videos; the advent of salsa and celebrity dance is just
a trend to watch.
Stand-up comedy is another aspect of the entertainment industry to

peak within a very short time. Brought to this level by Ali Baba, a swarm
of comedians debut almost weekly.
Though the fashion industry has made some remarkable progress in the
past this new magic brought a revival to that industry, causing it to
flourish again. At no time in the history of this country have we had so
much influx of campus girls into the runway. In the very words of the
organizers of Future Awards, “History is being made as there boys and
girls are releasing such levels of creativity”.
Closely linked with the fashion and the movie industries is the world of
make-up. Make-up artists are gaining more confidence to charge fees in
five and six digits.
What are the implications of all these?
Implications
Like I stated earlier on, history repeats itself. By projecting these trends
forward we can understand the intent behind the forces powering these
'movements', which is no doubts, the birthing of a new generation of
youths in Nigeria whose kinds are being configured by subcultures,
philosophies and value systems that are anti-Christ (godless).
The Role of the Church

A good question to ask concerning the role of the church is “Is it not
almost too late for us to start doing anything about what is happening?”
But there are those who think. “Should we care about what is going on
out there? Shouldn't were just focus on getting to heaven?”
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To answer the first question, no, it is not too late! Fortunately, the
church is really not reacting to movements in the world. Jesus, in His
earthly ministry did not react to needs because there were needs; He
only reacted to movements in the realm of the spirit. Because He was a
prophet, and because He had committed to only doing what He saw The
Father doing He was only moved by what He perceived in the spirit.
All of the social upheavals we talked about are actually Satan's reaction
to God's movement in the spirit. Since God opened the prophetic realm
over the global Church somewhere between 1986 and 1988, God has
accelerated His work in producing a new spiritual generation a
generation of sons whose manifestation will mark the beginning of the
end for this mortal age.
The new spiritual generation of which I speak has been undergoing a

secret preparation in the backside of the “wildness”. Many of them
have been at the “quarry' where they are being shaped by divine hands.
Deep within their spirit they know their assignment. They know that
they are not of this present church order. They can never fit in. Many
have tried over the years, and are just wandering about as spiritually
homeless. Many have been trapped within the walls of Organized
Church, but everything is according to God's design.
A 'New Priesthood' comprising folks from all walks of life is about to be

revealed. I believed that we are in the season for that.
The Spiritual Renaissance

A few years ago, speaking to me, the Lord used the phrases, 'Artificers
of righteousness' to capture the spiritual identity of these boys and girls
whom we are referring to. They are being led along the path of
righteousness to learn the righteous of God, which is the foundation of
God's throne force. This righteousness will be the source of their
creativity.
The world is about to witness the unleashing of unprecedented

Christian genius. Genius is described as exalted intellectual power of
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operating independently on tuition and training, and marked by extra-

ordinary faculty for original creation, invention, discovery, expression
and etcetera.
Like the Renaissance in Europe of the fourteenth through seventeenth

centuries the spiritual Renaissance will become an era of rich
intellectual, artistic, philosophical and even scientific achievement. The
root however will be the breaking forth of the Church into clear
grounds of God's righteousness. It is first of all a spiritual renaissance. It
will be characterized by folks returning to true spirituality. It will be a
period when many will flee obsolete spiritual positions marked by
religious traditions, and come into true expressions of the kingdom of
God.
Paul Cain, a prophet of God uses the phrase “Generation of the

Righteous” to describe the generation of spiritual renaissance.
Righteousness is inexorably linked with creativity.
Melchizedek
For long we taught on Melchizedek as an Old Testament figure, even
though he lived in a dispensation that predated the Old Testament.
Today, however, God has granted us to see that Melchizedek is but an
icon for a genre of heaven's grace being released in this last age.
Interpreted as “King of Righteousness” Melchizedek has no mother or

father. The generation of the righteous will have that power of genesis.
They will break with every existing pattern of life and re-introduce the
paradisiacal hope that Adam lost. We've come a long way from Eden.
Looking back now I can see; it's been a long trek down the woods of
time. Through twists and turns, from age to age be-labored earth has
carried on, yielding under the curse. The planet has aged; is fatigued; it
groans. These new breed that I call Future Thought leaders, will bring all
things to a finish and draw the drapes over this orb where time clearly
manipulates everything. They will clear the path to the tree of life so
that men may freely eat and become all that God intended for the human
race.
43
Being priest they are able to handle the deep things of God; and being
kings they are able to govern in the realm of men.

The concept of going back to the future defines how God works. He
sees the end of thing from the beginning, then in a sense He journeys
into the future, fixes how the thing should turn out; and then He returns
to the past and begins to create realities to correspond to and ultimately
culminate in His design for the future.
I said God journey's “in a sense” because He doesn't quite embark on a

journey He is already at the future. His name is 'The Beginning-Ending'.
He is not the Beginning to the Ending. No! He is both the Beginning
and the Ending at the same time. He surrounds everything!
The generation of the righteous is in a sense journeying from the future

into the present. Their lives, activities and general reality are not shaped
by the past but by the future. They are a Melchizedek species. They are
not the end-product of a historical process but the result of foresight
and prophet discernment. They are a product of the future. This is what
makes them walk in a certain dimension of God's perfection. They
cannot lose. Heads they win, tails they win. They live by the power of
the seventh order.
Satan knows that once they are released nothing can stop them, which is
why he is pre-empting their release. He thinks that by satiating the social
realm with a lot of pollution he can suppress their rising.
The picture of this is given in Rev.12, where a woman is seen clothed

with sun and standing on moon. The crown on her head is adorned
with the Mazaroth (zodiac) and she is in pain, about to be delivered of
her baby. Then we see a dragon (Satan) marshalling his forces against
her; to devour her baby as soon as it is born. The dragon deploys
princes not low class demons and arrays them against this thing
growing within her. But as soon as it is born it is caught up to heaven (or
identified the power of God's throne) and the dragon concedes defeat.
44
He realizes that nothing can be done about the man-child, and so the
dragon goes on to persecute the woman, who is a type of the Church.
The entire book of revelation represents the concept of going back to

the future. It is the History of the end written in advance of its
fulfillment. The events contained there are not tentative. They are sure.
They are fixed. For this generation of the righteous, much of their life is
likewise fixed; fixed by the one who determined their future. Alone!
Now they are walking hand in hand with Him back to the future.
Forward to the Past

Another concept related to going back to the future pertains to the
reality of two movements happening simultaneously, one is going
backward into the past; while the other is going forward unto the future.
Because this going backward is actually making progress, because it is a
way of charting the course to the future, and because it is positive we
refer to it as going forward to the past.
In the words of Dr. Noel Woodroffe, “We are progressing outwardly

towards greater sophistication, and inwardly towards more ancient
spiritual positions”. He couldn't have been more correct.
Much of the technological innovations we have received were inspired

by God. Even though a good number of the early scientists were
Believers, God has never confined Himself to working only through
Believers. When Solomon's Temple was being built expertise was
imported from Hiram.
Believers through the ages have often been very skeptical of

technological innovations. We somehow, always find a way of trying
things up to '666' and the Anti-Christ. When the printing press was
invented the church reacted; when the electronic age came and the
television was invented the church called it this devil's box. Yet soon
after, as history reveals, these inventions begin to shape our lives and the
life of society; then we accept them, but by the time we do the front
liners in the world are already moving on to something new; and the
45
cycle repeats itself. New innovations and inventions emerge. We get

skeptical, and start to resist it.
46
7
TECHNOLOGY BASED LIFESTYLE
Perhaps if the church is made to gain a historical perspective of

technology she would be less hostile towards it. Technology is not
something peculiar to modern times. Throughout the ages of man's
existence there has been one technology after another. Inventions were,
always have been and still are a product of necessity. Granted, the
earliest inventions were less sophisticated and were almost accidentally
arrived at. For example, because an 'early man' needed to reach an
object, somewhere in a height beyond his reach he put a piece of rock
upon another. This action was almost instinctive. The rational mind did
not come into play until later, when utilizing the same principle he
constructed the first ladder.
The ladder was invented in response to a need. Basically technology

refers to the realization of a principle through some practical
application. Technology has been defined as “That which shapes the
reality of human existence in a given time”. It is the technology of the
day that fashions the construct of human living. An era weaves itself
into the fabric of everyday life in a way that is simply inescapable. For
example, it was the invention of machines that precipitated the
Industrial Age, which ushered in widespread and lasting societal shifts.
The way of life inspired by the industrial age was fundamentally
different from what obtained in the Agricultural Age. Here are some of
the shifts that occurred as the global society transitioned from the
Agricultural to the Industrial Age:
• Work moved from farm to factory

• Populations moved from rural to urban centers
• The multigenerational family yielded to a nuclear family
• Schools appeared, primarily to serve the needs of factory based
economy
• Arts and entertainment became more democratic and populist.
47
• Hours, minutes and seconds became more relevant measures of

time than sunrise and sunset.
• Remuneration became weekly or monthly, instead of at the end
of the harvest season, thus the concept of time changed.
These are just some of the ways in which something invented “out
there” can affect all of our lives, whether we are believers or non-
believers.
We do not need to be afraid of technology. Technological innovations

not only make change possible, but in some ways even INEVITABLE.
On this basis we see that lifestyle is not so much chosen as it is inherited.
Consider the following example: We complain that certain cities are

densely populated, and yet as you travel from one state to another you
see very large expanses of uninhabited land. The question is why don't
people go and build houses in these places, on some mountain or in
some other isolated place. One of the major challenges would be power
supply. But, what if men are able to break the energy grid that has us
dependent upon fossil fuel? What if we are able to get an endless supply
of clean, cheap, and environmentally safe source of energy, like say,
through cold fusion, or hydrogen? Then people can build houses
anywhere they find suitable. Can you see my point?
We live in a world. And when that world changes, so do we. Whenever

there is a principal invention our inability to 'plug in' to the relevant
technologies could cause marginalization within the community and can
lead to lifestyles of obsolesce.
Christians have often regarded such marginalization as persecution and

obsolesce as separation from the world. Somehow, we have had a
problem defining what the world is.
Within the technology-rich lifestyle of the present and future we should

be able to find the validity of the kingdom of God. This brings us to the
second level of our movement; back towards more ancient spiritual
48
positions.
The Ancient Paths

One of the titles used for God in the Bible is “The Ancient of Days”.
That word 'ancient' is mystical and powerful. It does not refer to that
which is old or obsolete. Used in reference to God it carries no negative
connotations. God is not old, weak or frail. His 'ancient-ness' is a
posture of His wisdom, as well as a measure of His stability.
Every wise scribe brings forth from his treasury, things both old and
new. Part of the things God is doing in the Church today is totally new;
unseen, unheard of. Yet much of it is a return to realities that ancient
patriarchs and past legends of this faith once knew. Things like the
Enochian pathways into immortality, paradisiacal lifestyles of the Eden
order, the fear of God that David knew, the faith of the Fathers and the
least did not end there.
The King James Versions of the Bible repeatedly uses the phrase
“ancient paths”. The paths have to be recovered. In finding them we are
in a sense going backwards, yet in the real sense we are going forward.
The Natural mirrors the spiritual. The seen realm testifies to the unseen.
While the world is becoming more and more sophisticated,
technologically, people are being fascinated with lifestyles of traditional
tribal societies. In the eighties for example, a radical reinterpretation of
the sophistication, thinking, philosophy, religion and science of the
vanished civilization of Egypt, China and India was widely publicized
and enthusiastically received. And in recent times many westerners have
been fascinated by the Mayan legacy.
In search of possible answers to the psychological, social and emotional

turbulence and chaos that filled the vacuum left by the vanished values
of a dying age America began excavation into her country's indigenous
people's past.
The truth is that “when consideration of quality of life and inner

49
satisfaction entered the equation, the lifestyle of the Indians appeared

sophisticated in its own right” -Celente.
The fall-out of this quest to walk the ancient path has given rise to
Alternative Medicine, like acupuncture, meditation, herbal remedies,
fasting, water therapy and son on.
The legitimization of witchcraft, brought forward under different

guises is a trend worth touching on. Harry Porter, having brought in
revenue of well over $3 billion, made such a bang in America,
showcasing witchcraft and magic, but it was an indicator that a search for
spirituality is on.
No longer able to hold back the facts that there is a spiritual world which
is governed by higher, unscientific laws, there is admittance into the
mainstream of society of ancient spiritual arts like mysticism,
consultation of mediums, star-gazing, palmistry and so on. The
metropolitan police have even enlisted the services of psychics to help
them crack difficult investigations.
It is a clear indication that the world now, more than ever before, realizes
the need for the supernatural the spiritual.
The Supernatural
We are stepping into the age of the supernatural. We are coming into an
era in which cosmic conflicts will break forth into the realm of man with
increasing ease. We are about witnessing greater collaboration of man
and spirits in the coming days. We are presently gaining a greater
awareness of (or coming into increasing conscious of) the spirit realm
than in previous times. Such knowledge has been slow in the church but
you can feel the urgency with which Satan is revving up the supernatural
in the world, and opening men up to begin imagining, exploring,
inquiring into and expecting the outbreak of the supernatural.
If you take a census of how many movies, talk shows, reality shows and
literatures have themes relating to the supernatural, men possessing
50
special 'gifts' and abilities, strange creatures, Eastern philosophies and

the likes, you will see what I am saying. Such movies would include: Lord
of The Rings, Supernatural, Legend of the seeker, Merlin, Heroes,
Harry Porter, Dragon Ball… The list seems is endless.
The distance between the spirit realm and the natural is closing up. Men
are becoming more familiar with the spirit realm. More and more, men
will manifest the character and abilities of spirits. There is coming a
global renaissance. Unprecedented genius will be footloose once again,
yet it will not be based on mere talents or more gifting. Men will discover
how to mine the resources of the spirit world with greater ease, and evil
spirits will only be too happy to collaborate with men who will
tabernacle these disembodied spirits, granting them greater access into
our world.
More and more men will walk in the energy and authority of spirits. This
presents an opportunity for the Prophetic to come into greater
prominence so we can show the world what the real stuff looks like.
There were magicians in Egypt in Moses' day, but Moses' supernatural
dimension by far superseded whatever these impostors had.
The world is in crisis. The world needs answers. The world needs
solutions. Having no proper guide they will embrace the gods of the
New Age. Oops, they're already doing that! It is the responsibility of the
Church to present them with an alternative. Ours is to manifest the
truth so that they will have a choice. This thing is so straight forward, so
why do we not get it? The answer is, I believe, that many of us do not
have a clue!
While the Eastern religions are exporting their philosophies and

methods to the world, many churches, blind as they are, are pre-occupied
with buying large acres of land and building glass cathedrals to house
worshippers who are so impoverished it's almost a paradox to see them
in such buildings.
51
Insensitive to the true needs of the people, blind to the move of the
Spirit and derailed by the self-indulgent culture of the materialistic
nineteenth century, many pastors and ministers just cannot see the
harvest, let alone enter into it.
That is why a new generation must arise, that is free of the trappings of
religion, men who live their life in the border, where mortality interfaces
eternity seamlessly; where Christ Jesus is all and in all; where all
knowledge science geography history, religions and etcetera converge
to become one thing the knowledge of Him; where there is no
demarcation between the secular and the spiritual; where we are back to
the future.
52
Part Th ree
53
8
THE TASK OF THIS GENERATION
Someone once said, “If evil prevails in a place, it is because the initiative
is seized while the good wavered. When good prevails, it is because the
good seize the initiative and lead. It has been said that there are three
kinds of people in the world; those who make things happen, those who
watch things happen and those who wonder what's happening. Leaders
are made from those who know what is happening, and are not content
to sit on the sidelines of life and watch others determine their affairs.
They recognize opportunities and seize them with boldness. Leaders
are the ones who make things happen”.
Life is short. In the final analysis it is this is true even if you live to be
200 years old and much of life is filled with illusions. Things are
transient. You never really own them. Even when you're sure you do;
it's only a matter of time until it's proven that you don't. They belong
here. You pass on and leave them to the next pilgrim, who just might
be… another fool.
A wise man is one who realizes on time that we are all here to fulfill
God's purpose for our lives. The scripts have been written; the plot
spans the entire human history. In a very literal sense we are characters,
and it's our character that best defines us. Our quest for definition; our
search for meaning; our pursuit of happiness; our desire for greatness;
our dream of rest utterly fail unless they are circumscribed within the
reality of divine purpose as God articulates it from generation to
generation.
“Each generation differs from the preceding one in the

determination of its task.” L. Moholy Nagy
There is a very easy way to determine what the task of this generation is.
54
When we study the demography of the times we live in we will find the
answer. Born into the interval between the declining age and the
emerging one our primary tasks is that of pioneering. This means that
we need to be a people of vision, boldness, courage, faith, adventure,
experiment, foresight, imagination and innovation.
Some people are born into one era (or economy); they live out their lives
within that era, and die in it, and though they experience changes in their
lifetime, these changes are generally not of epic proportions. But there
are those who are born into one era, and who in their lifetime witness its
passing away, and the entrance of a new. They have to wade through that
wrenching period constituted by the overlap between the Old and the
New, when the Old is on throes, fighting to survive and the New is
fighting to be born.
Today, over a decade into the new millennium, we are living in another
overlap era. An old order is dying; a new one is being born. And once
again, there are conflicts between the dominant paradigms form a dying
age and an emerging one.
Defining the Task

The task of this generation covers a range of responsibilities which
include:
A call to War: We must first of all war within ourselves, against

dominant paradigms from the defunct economy. Then those of us who
are involved in leadership at any level must begin to set new standards,
new ways of doing things and etcetera, so that the people we have
influence over can begin to make their exit from obsolete positions.
A call to pioneer: Is in fact a call to 'Lay hold of the future'. This

involves 'seeing into the future, and implementing the design within our
perception. We must be bold and very courageous to venture into
uncharted waters. At no other time than now do these words from
Goethe find its application: “Seize the moment. Whatever you can do,
or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in
55
it”.
We must not allow fear of failure or tentativeness to hinder us from

being innovative, creative, imaginative and experimental. Like the
European Renaissance that occurred from the fourteenth through the
seventeenth centuries we are entering an era of rich intellectual,
philosophical, artistic, scientific and spiritual accomplishment. We have
to re-capture our sense of adventure. Are we going to make mistakes?
Certainly! That is the way of life. Every worthwhile accomplishment
comes with challenges. As we seek to learn the ropes and gain mastery
of the new course we might even experience failure, but we can see it as
our learning process, and utilize the lessons and experience we garnered
thereby, to facilitate our further advance. You need a great deal of
boldness when pioneering. Those who wait until things have been
certified before venturing will continuously lose every opportunity to
get ahead and provide true leadership. They will also perpetually be
followers.
A call to lead: We must embrace the opportunity to provide leadership

for others to follow, into a new realm. That means we must we must get
ahead everybody in some regard, within our chosen professions or
vocations. We must task our abilities beyond the limit imposed upon the
mediocre standards. I am looking for, and challenging musicians in the
church to blaze the trail for new sounds that will take the world by storm;
the way the Beatles' sound was new and powerful. One of our greatest
assets will be creativity. This is an age of creativity. This is a time when
rules have to be broken. We are in an age of 'high standard deviation' as
Tom Peters calls it. It is time to develop the nerve to stand up, stand out
and fight conventional practice. This is the right time to chart new
courses. Foundations of a new civilization are being laid. Only those
who rise up to the occasion can contribute to shaping the future. After
this time it will get increasingly difficult to alter courses that have been
ordained during this period. Remember. “A time to sow… a time to
reap”.
A call to re-structure: We must begin to re-imagine our enterprises

56
and institutions. The basic competence required to achieve this is

INTUITION. We must be intuitive. This is perhaps the reason why
there is an influx of artists in the society. Artists are considered to be
right-brained, meaning that they are more intuitive than they are
analytical, systematic or pragmatic.
Arts Like Never Before

We are presently witnessing exponential advancement in various fields
of arts. The distinction between arts and entertainment is blurring at
such an alarming rate. There seems to be a strong consensus on the fact
that the most intuitive and responsive people in society are artists.
Gerald Celente thinks that artists are more sensitive to shifts in the
tempo of the times than others. Rick Joyner believes this is particularly
true of musicians.
“The true artist” says Moholy Nagy, “is the grindstone of the senses; he
sharpens eyes, mind and feelings; he interprets ideas and concepts
through his own media. The artist has a formative ideological function,
otherwise his work would be only an exercise of skill in composition.
Art, architecture, literature, fashion and music are products of the age
that produced them; for this reason the best representatives of the arts
whether in music, poetry, sculpture, or paining always express the
spiritual state of the age. The unconscious but direct influence of art
represents a better means of persuasion for conditioning people to a
new society. A casual glance at history will reveal this.
Not only does the artist serve as a social commentator, but through his
sensitivity the artist becomes the seismograph of events and
movements pertaining to the future. ('Movements' are great trends that
set the course of history). The artist interprets the yet coming, hazy
path of coming developments by grasping the dynamics of the present.
“One of the functions of the artist in society” quips Moholy Nagy, “is
to put layer upon layer, stone upon stone, in the organization of
57
emotions: to record feelings with his particular means and to give

structure and refinement as well as direction to the inner life of his
contemporaries”.
It is the artist's duty today to penetrate the ranges of biological

functions, to search for new dimensions of the digital society, and to
translate the new findings into emotional orientation. People need to
feel what they have grasped intellectually.
The artist unconsciously disentangles the most essential strands of

existences, from chaotic complexities of real life and weaves them into
an emotional fabric of compelling validity characteristic of himself as
well as of his epoch. No society can survive without expressing itself.
The Hippie Movement of the 1960s and the birth of the Negro
Spirituals are two examples of how a people cannot live without
expressing their inner life.
Artists as Educators
To reach different temperaments intellectual, verbal explanations alone
are not effective. There are a great number of other approaches
needed. The arts, for example can take the individual by storm through
sensory experiences, directly by feelings without involving too much
intellectual participation. The arts can play an important role in re-
educating the people. Take Music for example; when it comes to
communicating emotions mere words are clumsy tools. Music is a
much better medium.
“Continuous repetition of lyrics activities memory centers, or

creates a highly emotional state which stimulates retention of
information. In this semi-hypnotic state the lyric enters the
subconscious mind which then accepts and retains the information.
The reason, which should filter and reject unwanted information, is by
passed. The information which has been absorbed by the
subconscious mind now begins to influence and change the
personality and the way it will spontaneously respond to situations.
Values are the basis of personality types. The values communicated
58
through our music define and shapes the new generation”.
This is a wake-up call for the artists in the church to break with forces of
religion that have created definitions of 'ministry' that precludes use of
the mind or creative genius in the advance of the kingdom of God.
People can paint, as directed by or, under the unction of the Holy Spirit.
This applies to every expression of the Arts. The next generation of
'ministers', I assure you, are not folks trained in a Bible college. New
skills and competencies are required to advance the kingdom of God.
IT skills, artistic skills, management skills… These are some of the
needed tools. It is a new day. Amen.
59
ABOUT ERNEST PAUL
Ernest Paul is functions in prophetic ministry as a voice to steer

individual and churches into greater proximity with the unfolding
purposes of God in the earth. Executive Director of TSL Global
Initiatives He is also the senior pastor of CentrePort Abuja, Nigeria.
With over 22 years in ministry Ernest has served in various ministry
capacities, at one time, serving as the administrator of Breakthrough
School of Ministry, overseeing operation of some 17 schools across
West Africa and Cameroun. He is married to Robyn and they are blessed
with two children: Errita and John.

Going Back To The Future

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Going Back To The Future

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Change is constant. Things are ever changing. The fundamental

not an issue to be disputed. That is however, not the case today. As

In 1945 America had a monopoly of modernity. Well, it no longer does.

Again, time manipulates everything on earth! God designed everything

What Time Is It Anyway?

Big Time Losers

failed to do. Time is a teacher, unfortunately, many of the lessons of

How did this happen? The Encyclopedia Britannica sells for

Other popular stories of corporations who misread the times include

How the Nation of Israel Loss Out

The hysteria continued. The crowd roared and cheered.

Blinded by religion, and poisoned with a sense of their own spiritual

What Did Israel not know?

1. That it was her day.

What further deductions could be made from this episode?

What You Must Know Today:

1. The world has changed and a new spiritual economy is

Counting the Losses

Surprisingly, not everyone in Jerusalem was taken unawares by the event.

1. By going back to the future this entails gaining foresight

Why is it Important for us to Understand the Trends?

Trend-tracking also enables intelligent, management decision making.

This is applicable to our private lives as well as our corporate lives. By

The Isaacharian Dimension

What the Isaacharians had could be transmitted along bloodlines. It was

1. Jacob's blessing in Gen. 49:14 identifies Issachar as a strong

2. In the encampment of the Israelites in the wilderness, three

3. Numbers chapter two gives a detailed account of how the twelve

the children of Issachar, men that had understanding of the

The church today needs this Issacharian dimension. We need to

Where Do Trends Come From?

planet that been fought because somebody somewhere refused to be

Governing princes: This refers to the action of satanic realities on

Sovereignty: This is the singular, most important factor, God. He

Sacharnomics is an integrated approach to Future Casting that

Sacharnomics is a word I coined out of 'Issachar', a people who in the

Sacharnomics is not just about analyzing trends. It's about gaining a

Is the World to Educate Us?

(2) God is in the spiritual and not in the secular. Hence,

For a long time, acceding to this though - whether knowingly or

The reformation thought is bringing us to realize that God is sovereign

And so to answer our question, “Are we to be influenced by events

1. The sovereignty of God

Sovereignty is defined as having undisputed ascendancy, possessed of

The concept of God's sovereignty is not new to us but its application

We have got to disempowered wrong positions and wrong beliefs on our

The sovereignty of God implies that He ultimately determines the

2. If it's Good is God; if its bad it's the Devil

physical existence is finite we do not live long enough to see the

What is a World View?

Besides gaining a purer understanding of what God's Kingdom is our

God's method of getting His purposes accomplished in the earth often

And the actions of God outside of church are no less significant or

In considering worldview we aren't dealing with God in the more

As the last millennium drew to a close that feeling was described as

The mathematician, Godfrey Harold Hardy, has asserted that, “there

Precession of the Equinoxes

“Each morning the sun rises against the backdrop of a constellation, or

astronomical/astrological sign. This backdrop is actually constant, but