Four Heart Standards of the End-Time Prophetic Church
I. THE DIVINE PROBLEM AT THE END OF THE AGE
1 Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart…(Lk. 18:1)
7 And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them?
8 I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find
faith on the earth?” (Lk. 18:7-8)
1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1)
A. Jesus understood the nature of the war that must continually be waged on the inside to maintain a life of continual
prayer. His parable unveiled the different layers of revelation that must strike the heart and translate into real choices
and actions that reflect an aggressive, unapologetic pursuit of a life of prayer and fasting as the primary focus of our lives
and ministries. It takes revelation knit to hearing the word of God to activate authentic faith (Romans 10:17). Faith is
complete trust and confidence in God’s nature, ways, and leadership (sovereign plan) as that confidence expresses itself
in our lives. Thus true faith is dynamically connected to understanding, insight or perspective with clarity that changes
the way we live and think. The “substance” and “evidence” of what we believe is how that insight translates into action
(the subject of Hebrews 11).
B. Men and women “lose heart”, according to the parable of the sower (Matt. 13:18-23; Mk. 4:13-20; Lk. 8:11-15) for
reasons that include attacks from the wicked one; shallow, rootless faith that cannot endure trouble or hardship; and the
cares of this world and the “deceitfulness of riches” that choke our vibrancy and life in God. When given multiple,
seemingly appealing options, do I have the perspective and confidence in God to choose the “better” option, though the
pressure is great and often my choices don’t translate into immediate comfort or benefit? How “real” is the judgment of
God, the age to come, and the reward that awaits me if I stay steady and grow in love?
C. The great challenge for those who endeavor to give themselves to a lifestyle of prayer and fasting is that which
lies within the very core of this world (1 Jn. 2:16) – the delusion of self-sufficiency and self-reliance that flows from an
independent spirit and the “pride of life”. The lust of the eyes (immorality and covetousness) and the lust of the flesh
(bitterness, anger, desire for honor and comfort, etc.) all combine to wage war on the devotional life of the believer. It is
relatively easy for even those who have the heart and calling to pray night and day to lose heart in the journey of
intercession and transformation.
D. Thus the core issues of man’s weakness are part the great dilemma Jesus speaks to in His parable and closing
question. This weakness and unbelief manifests itself through prayerlessness and a loss of heart in discouragement.
How can we as the people of God stay steady and persevere in light of the internal and external threats to our soul and
life in God?
E. Without a rich and vibrant prayer life, we lose the vibrancy, life, joy, and perspective necessary to weather the
storms that will come to shake our resolve and dedication. A life of prayer must then translate into real faith – a vibrant
expression of belief that touches every area of our thoughts, words, and actions. “Faith” can be paraphrased as
“agreement”. Will the Son of Man find people on the earth who believe Him and agree with Him? Demons believe, and
tremble – but does belief translate into agreement?
F. Thus the question asked by Jesus is a haunting one – the issue of answered prayer related to justice and
righteousness for the poor and the oppressed isn’t knit to God’s faithfulness. Jesus turns the issue of justice upside-down
and places the burden upon the people. Justice could come swiftly if the people were prepared for the implications that
accompany Him upon His return. The apostle Peter echoes this idea, knitting the delay of the return of Christ to His
longsuffering and patience with our weakness (2 Pet. 3:9). He stated clearly that we could hasten His return by living lives
of holiness and godliness (2 Pet. 3:11-12). Jesus is inviting believers to embrace a lifestyle of prayer and fasting that
produces the fruit of agreement with Him in every area of our lives. The Son of Man will find faith on the earth at His
return when He finds a people who love mercy, do justly, and walk humbly with their God (Mic. 6:8).
II. THE INVITATION TO FOUR HEART STANDARDS
A. The first word that Bob Jones gave to Mike Bickle on March 7, 1983; Bob said, “You will lead a worldwide youth
movement of prophetic singers and musicians that God will release in power evangelism and use to mobilize worldwide
prayer for Israel. This youth movement will be given grace to operate in the prophetic and persist in night and day
intercession with worship.” The prophetic invitation that the Lord gave in Cairo, Egypt in Sept. 1982 – “I will change the
understanding and expression of Christianity in the earth in one generation.”
1. Changing the understanding: speaks of the way unbelievers will perceive the Church. Today, many see the
Church as boring, irrelevant and non-threatening. Changing the expression: speaks of the way the Church expresses its
life together as a people of prayer walking out Sermon on the Mount lifestyles in the power of the Spirit.
B. God spoke about four essential heart standards in which the End-Time Church is to function. They are the four
most neglected pillars of New Testament Christianity. God called the movement to “IHOP”:
C. Intercession: night and day prayer, fasting and worship (spirit of prayer in the life of the Church); the lifestyle of
prayer is a stumbling block to the Church because it requires us to soberly face our weakness. Holiness: knit to a happy,
tender heart of obedience to the Sermon on the Mount lifestyle (Mt. 5-7) Offerings: extravagant giving to the poor (live
simple to give more to the harvest and the poor) Prophetic: prevailing faith or confidence in God’s prophetic intervention:
provision in need (no need to hoard our money), protection when attacked (no need to be vindictive or fearful), direction
in time of darkness, and power in barrenness (powerlessness in ministry)
D. We have been invited to be a part of a work that will touch the ends of the earth. The Lord has invited many to be
a part of this – and will invite many others in the years to come; but the key issue is not the invitation, it is the grace to
pray and not lose heart. The heart standards of this prayer movement are easy to preach, hard to live. The grace of
God for perseverance is needed to weather the storms and pressure that lie just ahead for this movement. The Lord said
clearly: “You have only said yes but have not yet done it. Many have said yes but did not do it (endure for decades in
walking out these four pillars).” The Lord said, “Beware lest your brethren steal these from your heart.”
E. All four heart standards require a dynamic and continual interaction with the Holy Spirit (communion with God) to
be successful and continual. The “garden” of our heart as it grows in maturity in Christ can only come to the fullness of
its expression when we exercise our faith related to all four areas. If we do not interact with the Holy Spirit related to
these four areas, we cannot persevere in them; if we do not persevere in these areas, we cannot grow into full maturity in
Christ.
F. Patience in perseverance is about follow through (not quitting) as we face obstacles: Righteousness as we face
temptation with various lusts; diligence as we face the mundaneness of our daily routine; steadiness when people
disapprove of what we say and do (or do not do with them); confidence in our identity as we face disillusionment and
disappointment; extravagant giving as we face the temptation of prosperity; servanthood and lowliness as we face the
temptation of increasing influence; and endurance unto death as we face persecution (threats, imprisonment and
beatings)
G. Paul prayed for patience or perseverance to be imparted to the saints:
10 That you may have a walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him...11 strengthened with all might…for all patience and
longsuffering with joy… (Col. 1:10-11)
5 May the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and the patience of Christ. (2 Thess. 3:5)
III. THE SOCIAL CONDITION OF THE END OF THE AGE
1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money,
boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without
self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! (2 Tim. 3:1-4)
Why do the nations rage, and the people plot a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take
counsel together, against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying, “Let us break Their bonds in pieces and cast
away Their cords from us.” (Psalm 2:1–3)
A. Paul spoke of “the mystery of iniquity” (2 Thessalonians 2:7) or the mystery of man’s hidden hatred of God and
His ways. Men despise the leadership of God. A great error is thinking that if God revealed Himself to men, they would
believe and repent. But one does not necessarily lead to the other. For the last 2000 years, God has pleaded His case
with humanity to believe and repent in what Jeremiah called His “controversy with the nations” (Jeremiah 25:31). Jesus
understood that men love darkness (the works of sin) more than light and truth (John 3:19).
B. In Psalm 2, King David is describing the exposing of the mystery of iniquity in the last days. When God reveals
Himself and His plan to rule according to His righteousness, men will not repent and submit—they will rage against Him.
The book of Revelation describes this scenario in great detail (Revelation 9:21).
C. The issue of perseverance becomes magnified in an end-time context of “fullness” related to man’s sin, Satan’s
rage, and God’s wrath. The full measure of those three issues expressed before the Second Coming will press all who
dwell on the earth and move them towards the “fullness of God” (Eph. 3:19) / the “fullness of the Gentiles” (Rom. 11:25)
or the “fullness of the transgressors” (Dan. 8:23) and the “searing of the conscience” (1 Tim. 4:2).
D. 2 Timothy 3 describes the condition of unbelievers in the hour to come and of the human heart fully given over to
sin and rebellion. These traits will embody the unsaved people of that hour, who will greatly mistreat and persecute the
Church.
1. In this passage, Paul gave us a practical look at what the uproar of the nations looks like as they meditate upon,
devise, plot and scheme to throw off the bonds of control found in the morality of the Word of God (Psalm 2:1–4). These
people will ultimately love pleasure rather than God. They will embrace a form of godliness that furthers their own
agendas, rather than embrace the suffering and self-sacrifice of the Cross. In this, they will deny the power of God, which
enables us by grace to know Him and walk with Him. Instead they will become bitter and offended at His grace and
power— the very instruments He desires to use to transform their hearts.
2. These people are “always learning [but] never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” (2 Timothy 3:7); they
are among the many who “shall run to and fro” increasing knowledge (Daniel 12:4). This increase of knowledge will be
one of the main factors contributing to the growing arrogance, pride, and wickedness of the people. As knowledge and
learning increase, people will exalt themselves in their own minds; their own accomplishments will become more and more
glorious in their own minds. Transgression will reach its fullness as people race toward the fulfillment of Psalm 2, and
in their increasing arrogance, move beyond secularization and closer to the utter rejection of God and biblical morality in
every area of society.
E. The expression of the “fullness of the transgressors” is revealed clearly in Revelation 9:21, which in a terrifying
way, describes the normal social context of the earth just before the Second Coming. :
21 And they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.
1. Murder will be widespread and touch every person on the earth – all will know a murderer and / or a victim of
murder in that day. There will be little to no regard for life, no love for mercy, and great injustice raging throughout the
nations.
2. Sorceries and demon worship will be a normative expression of man’s lust for supernatural power to preserve
themselves and escape the torment of the devastation and destitution of that time. In their rage and rebellion against
God, men will be desperate for any other supernatural means to affect their own deliverance.
3. Sexual immorality will be widespread and common. Just as murder and demon worship will be normal and socially
accepted as a societal standard, sexual immorality will be expressed far beyond what we can imagine today. Again, the
issue is not that we compare what is done in secret today with the level of depravity in the past – the issue is what is now
done in secret (and is shameful and unspeakable) will be normal and done openly, boldly, and proudly in the days to
come. Men will be unrepentant in part because they cannot grasp that it is sinful, shameful, or wrong to do these things.
a. Paul said that men would be “lovers of pleasure” and the desperately poor and broken condition of the earth will
leave few options for men to find it outside of sexual immorality.
4. Thefts, bribery, and corruption will plague the entire earth because of the massive poverty and desperate famine
that will touch every person on the earth in the coming days. Men as “lovers of themselves” or slaves to the desire for
self-preservation at any cost will see a pervasive “coldness” and lack of love for brothers, friends, and families as betrayal
and hatred will be a normal part of formerly close relationships, as Jesus prophesied –
12 “And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.” (Matt. 24:12)
IV. EACH HEART STANDARD WARS AGAINST THE FOUR-FOLD SOCIAL CONTEXT
A. God is inviting us to fully embrace four heart standards that will fuel our war against darkness and sin now and in
the days to come. Saying “yes” fully now is hard – but waiting to say “yes” until that day will be nearly impossible. We
must say “yes” today and set ourselves to grow in how our “yes” to God expresses itself in faith and love for Him.
B. These heart standards, alive within our hearts and refined in their expression in our lives, are necessary
“weapons” in our war against lust now and our victory over the spirit of the antichrist in the days to come. Each heart
standard stands in direct opposition to the cultural “norms” of Revelation 9:21:
C. Intercession and night and day prayer is continually knit to the issue of justice throughout the scriptures and in the
book of Revelation the Lord directly links night and day prayer with the issue of murder and lawlessness in Revelation 6:
9 When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for
the testimony which they held. 10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You
judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” 11 Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it
was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their
brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed. (Rev. 6:9-11)
1. God’s answer to the rampant, unrelenting injustice knit to the spirit of murder that will rage before His return is to
stir up an unrelenting prayer movement across the earth to boldly proclaim His standard, perspective, zeal for justice,
righteousness, and peace. In the mercy of God, the earth will be filled with songs of deliverance and justice in the
greatest time of bondage in injustice in history.
D. Holiness of heart, or “happy holiness” is the expression of satisfied obedience knit to deep love and affection for
Jesus as well as confidence and trust in His leadership. Where the end-time church finds its satisfaction and anchor will
function as a direct rebuke and provocation to the peoples. There will be two expressions of “abandonment” in those
days – groups of believers fully abandoned with joy to the Lord in holiness set against groups of unbelievers who will be
fully given to depravity and “love of pleasure”. Thus holiness of heart, or “love-fueled holiness” is the only thing that will
help the church overcome the tidal wave of darkness, filth and sexual immorality that will wash over the nations.
E. Offerings to the poor or extravagant giving will be the most outlandish expression of compassion and love to be
found in a time of widespread theft, bribery, and corruption. If it is hard for a believer to give extravagantly now, it will be
nearly impossible then. A commitment to a simple lifestyle knit to an overflowing, free heart in the area of money is critical
in a time in which one man will quickly assume control of most of the world’s finances (Rev. 13:17; 17:16; 18:10-19). It
will shock the nations to see the church “outgiving” the nations to serve the poor during a time when most are serving
themselves. It will be a historic time of giving and taking.
F. Prophetic or prevailing faith and confidence in God’s intervention with power will function as an end-time “Elijah”
spirit in direct contrast to the false prophets and seekers of supernatural power for deliverance, protection, and provision.
The prophetic church will directly oppose the sorceries and false signs and wonders (2 Thess. 2:9) of the antichrist
kingdom. These two groups will move in great supernatural, inexplicable power as the rest of the earth watches to see
whose God (or god) prevails in the unique clash of two kingdoms just before the Second Coming. One group will reach
their limit – as the sorcerers of Pharaoh and the prophets of Baal once did; while the second group will proclaim the
testimony of the unlimited resource of power in the hands of the coming King.