End of Time

15 November 2015

Dear Phyllis,

The Lord wonderfully met with me this morning. I opened my Bible to Isiah 4 and the words just came out. “In that day the Branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious; and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel. And it shall come to pass that he that is left in Zion and he that remaineth in Jerusalem shall be called holy; everyone one that is written among the living in Jerusalem. When the Lord have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning. And the Lord will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night: for upon all the glory shall be a defense.” (Isa. 4:2-5).

The biggest news this past week was the ISIS attack in Paris. The world went bonkers over that significant terrorist attack. Everyone is calling, “What can we do to prevent this?” You can't. That is impossible. There is not a way in the world that anyone can scale down these terrorist attacks any more than anyone can prevent the judgment of God coming on unrepentant sin. If you throw a child off a cliff it will die. You can't stop it. We all know what is coming. The world is going to get exponentially worse and the anti-Christ is coming. The devil will be in charge and and there will be tremendous persecution. Praise God.

Jesus explained all this to us in the Sermon On The Mount. He told us about the two houses – one built on a rock and one built on sand. The flood came and proved what was real and what wasn't (Mt. 7:24-27). Phi Phi Island is a popular resort island in the Andaman Sea on the west side of southern Thailand. I have been there three times. The first time was on 1999 and it was tremendously over-developed with wall to wall cabins. Then in 2004 a tsunami hit that place and washed off the island. At the narrowest place it is only 200 meters wide. The water went right over it. When I was there the second time in 2005 it was a totally different place. Only the solidly built places were left.

Leonard Hasson was a close friend. He was asked by a missionary to go to Guadalcanal to build a church. On the plane the missionary showed him the blue prints for the church. Len shook his head and said, “No way”. He totally redesigned that church and built it the right way. A year later a massive typhoon hit Guadalcanal and cleaned out the island. Everything was blown away except the church.

These things have got to come. There is nothing wrong with a flood and high wind if the building is put up the right way. It only proves how it was built. The Lord will send His storm to weed out the junk and show who is real and who is phony.

After my world collapsed in 1990, when I lost my family and everything I had; some people praised me for still being on my feet following Jesus. I said, “My goodness, when the ship sinks, what are you supposed to do; throw away your life jacket?” When I got cleaned out and the only thing left was Jesus, He was the only thing I had to cling to. A similar thing happened one time in the life of our Lord when Jesus told the Jews that they would have to eat His flesh and drink His Blood. That really thinned down the crowd. When only a few were left standing He turned to the disciples and asked, “Will you go too?”. Peter answered, “Lord, where can we go? You have the Word of eternal life.” (Jn. 6:53-68). Amen!

Last Wesdnesday I was surfing YouTube and ran accross a speaker I had never heard before. I first found Joel Richardson on a YouTube site with Chuck Missler. Then I saw him twice on the Jim Baker Show. And finally listened to two messages he preached at a Messeanic prophetic conference in Tacoma. Listening to him I have changed my position on three major escatological issues. There are two views of the time of Ezek. 38,39. I have always held to the position that this invasion happens at the beginning of the seven years of tribulation. But after listening to Richardson I am now convinced that this is Armageddon. He points out that this is God's great supper for the buzzards and the language of Ez. 39:17-20 is identical to Rev. 19:17,18. I don't see how you can make it at any other time. Secondly, Walid Shoebad has remarked that nearly all Christian commentators are westerners who look at end time prophecy through western eyes. Walid, being born in the Middle East, looks at these prophecies from an eastern position. After listening to him and Joel Richardson I can see now that all the nations mentioned in Ezek. 38,39; Dan. 2,7,8,11 are Islamic Middle East and north Africa nations. I believe that Richardson and Shoebad are right and the eastern position is correct. Thirdly Joel says that the Islamic nations today are alive with excitement in anticipation of the appearance of the Islam messiah, their Mahdi. I was amazed that the Islamic writings of Mahdi are nearly identical to our Bible passages describing the anti-Christ. Their Mahdi is to Islam exactly what the Bible tells us about Jesus when He returns to set up His Kingdom. He is the 12^th Imam and will rule the world. It is hard to disagree with Richardson that what they are looking for is none other but the Bible anti-Christ. And they expect him momentarily. I tend to agree with them and feel they are right. Richardson says he feels strongly that – since Obama has pulled America out of Iraq – the next move on the Middle East chess board will be a massive invasion of Iran with Russia into Iraq to wipe out ISIS. Iraq is already joined to Iran at the hip. They both are Shia. Richardson says that Turkey is backing ISIS as they both are Sunni. When Iraq cleans out ISIS, Turkey will retailate with a major move against Iran. He sees this in Dan. 7 and 8. He might be right.

What happened in Paris is only the pitter patter of a few drops of rain of a catagory 5 hurrican that is coming to wesrern nations very soon. Richardson has given me a new perspective of world events and end time prophecy. There is a huge storm and fire coming to this earth, but when it all blows over what is left will be beautiful. This is Isa. 4. It is going to get awfully bumpy for the next few miles. It will be hold-your-hat-Hanna, but the spirit of judgment and burning will do its work and will clean out the junk. God's wonderful Kingdom will be beautiful. We could be weeks away from the time when we see end time events on the 6:00 o'clock news.

Praise God! bill

And More Hegge Iverson

8 November 2015

Dear Phyllis,

I said I would quit Hegge Iverson stories at two letters but there is one more that I want to share. This one is my favorite.

There was a Jewish lady in Seattle that was virtually a vegetable. Her husband was a wealthy, successful, business man but this poor soul had been troubled by serious emotional problems for 18 years, and had been in a revolving door going in and out of mental hospitals. There was a conservative Jewish Rabbi that was very fond of Hegge who recommended this lady go to Hegge for help.

Hegge hadn't been talking to her long before he put down his clip board and said, “You need to meet my Boss. He is a world famous psychiatrist who specializes in cases like yours.” “Does he live in Seattle?” “Yes”. “Could I meet him?” “I will speak to Him tonight about you and try to set up a meeting tomorrow. But I promise you that I will give you a hand written note from Him tomorrow.” Her heart soared. For the first time in years there was a shaft of hope of meeting a psychiatrist who could help. After she left, Hegge prayed, “Lord Jesus, You have got to get me out of this one. What can I say to her?” The thought came, “The woman said unto Him, I know that the Messiah cometh which is called Christ. When He cometh He will tell us all things. Jesus said unto her, 'I that speak unto thee am He'”. (Jn. 4:25,26). He wrote that down on a piece of paper and stuck it in his coat pocket.

The next morning the woman came in all excited. “Were you able to speak to the psychiatrist last night?” “Yes, I spoke to Him about you.” “Can I meet him today?” “Yes, He will be here in a few minutes. But first He gave me a message for you.” Hegge handed her the paper and told her, “Now please read this and don't say anything until you have read it to the end.” She read it, looked at Hegge with surprise, and said. “They told us at the synagogue that Jesus was not the Messiah.” “This says that He is. Now kneel down. We are going to talk to Him.” “But they told us that Jesus is dead.” “Lady, I don't talk to dead people.'' “But I can't see Him.” “Your eyes will be opened as soon as you get on your knees.” She knelt down, and Hegge led her in prayer to accept Jesus as her savior. When they got reseated, Hegge said to her, “Now Jesus has three things He wants you to do. He wants you to throw away your house coat.” She never dressed in the morning but went around all day in a ragged house coat. “Jesus wants you to go to a beautician and get your hair fixed. And He wants you to clean up that stack of dishes in the sink.” She seldom washed the dishes and there was always a stack in the sink.

Two months later her husband called and asked, “What in the world did you do to my wife. She has been to every psychiatrist in Seattle; she has been on every medication known, and nothing helped. She saw to you twice, came home, and threw away her house coat. She always gets dressed the first thing every morning. She got her hair fixed up and now she is beautiful. There is not a dirty dish in the house. As soon as a cup gets used, it is immediately washed and put away. And all she does is walk around the house all day singing.What did you do to her?” “I didn't do a thing. She met my Boss.” “I'ld like to meet Him too.”

Hegge said one of the most difficult cases he ever dealt with was a man who was catatonic. Catatonia is the last stage of mental illness. Psychiatry has no answer for it. This man was like a zombie. When he walked you had to push him like a wheel borrow. If his arm was extended, it would stay that way until you pushed it down. To sit down in a chair you had to push him down. This was not a case that was settled in two visits but simply in answer to prayer after several months the man came out of catatonia and Hegge said last summer he painted his house by himself.

Hegge was such a phenomenon that he was invited to speak to the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Washington. Hegge remarked, “Did I tell them about Jesus? I certainly did”.

I have forgotten the details of this one but there was a lady who came to him whose husband had walked out on her. After many months of silence suddenly he walked in the house one night and said, “Hi, I'm home”. She didn't know what to think but she forgave him and welcomed him back. It was late afternoon. They lived right on the bank of the Puget Sound. He said, “While you are fixing supper I want to go out in my boat and do some fishing.” He never returned. They found the boat floating and suspected he had drowned. They dredged the Puget Sound looking for a body but nothing was ever found. By that he was officially declared dead. The wife asked Hegge to have the funeral. He said, “Somehow I feel he is alive”, but he did the funeral.

A year later a man was working on a roof in Oregon when a small tornado came out of nowhere, picked the man up off the roof, and dumped him 100 yards away. (They never have tornadoes in Oregon.) The man miraculously survived but was in critical condition in the hospital. A police investigation found an old Washington State drivers license in his room under a different name than he was known as. Somehow his brother was contacted and recalled that Hegge had done the funeral. He contacted Hegge, and it was determined that this was the lady's husband in the hospital in Oregon. Hegge called the wife and said, “We have to go down there to see him.” She replied, “Hegge, oh no, I don't want to go on any more.” “I'm sorry, Shirley, but Jesus says you must.” Hegge said he never saw a man so badly beaten in his life. At last report they were living together.

The Bible says, “The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him.” (2Ch. 16:9). This is a very intense search by God looking for a man with the right kind of heart. There are very few. But He found one in Hegge Iverson and showed Himself stunningly strong in doing astounding things..

Lord Jesus, we aren't Hegge Iverson, but You can make us better to use us more.

                                                                                              bill cook

More Hegge

1 November 2015

Dear Phyllis,

Continuing the Hegge Iverson narrative:

One day Hegge got a phone call from a lady asking, “Mr. Iverson are you filled with the Holy Ghost?” “I'm sorry mam but I can't discuss that over the telephone.” “Well I live out on the peninsula and I don't want to come all that way to talk with someone who isn't filled with the Holy Ghost.” “You come in anyway and I believe we can help you.” Hegge hung up the phone, went out in the reception room, and said to the secretary, “Great day! She's huge. Her hair is a mess, she has yellow teeth, and her stockings are rolled down.” The secretary asked, “Who is that?” “The lady that I just talked to on the phone”. The secretary looked at him like she should call 911 and get some help. But Hegge said, “When I talked to her on the phone it was like I was looking at her on a screen. She is coming in tomorrow and you will see.” The next morning the secretary came into Hegge's office and gasped, “She's huge, her hair is a mess. she has yellow teeth, and her stockings are rolled down”.

Hegge got out is clip board and began asking personal information – married, husband's name, “Is he saved?” “No.” “Why isn't he saved?” “He hates Jesus.” Hegge put his clip board down and replied, “He doesn't hate Jesus. He hates that hypocrite inside of you. He hates that 5 lbs box of chocolates you have hidden under the bed and all those empty sacks of potato chips scattered all over the bedroom. He hates you pretending to diet and not eating with the family while you are cheating in the bedroom.” A month later her husband called and asked, “What did you do to my wife? She saw you one time, came home, and started losing weight. She got her hair fixed. She is disciplined and sits at the table with the rest of us eating reasonable meals.” Hegge said, “I didn't do anything. She met Jesus.” The husband replied, “I want Jesus too.”

Another time a lady called him and asked, “Do you have any legal experts on your staff?” “Yes mam, we have three of the finest legal experts in the universe on staff.” “My husband is a pedophile and I want to put him in prison.” “Mam, you come in and I believe we can help you. I will try to get him in” [in Jesus]. The lady came in and explained how her husband had molested their 12 year old daughter. As Hegge listened to her story he suggested, “When you got married, did you look at your husband and thought in your heart, 'Someday this man is going to molest my child'? When your daughter was born, did you think, 'Someday this man is going to molest this girl'? Have you been thinking that for 12 years?” She burst into tears. Hegge went on, “You have made this man what he is and now you want to put him away in prison. Lady, I don't call that fair!” The woman wept and confessed that Hegge had called it right on the button. Then he asked, “What is your husband's phone number?” She responded, “My husband is a high level executive with Boeing Aircraft. He will never see you.” Hegge said, “He will see me”.

He called him and said, “Mr. Blackburn, this is Hegge Iverson of Burden Bearers. I would like to see you in my office immediately.” “Iverson, I am a very busy man and I can't see you.” “Sir, I am not asking you to come in; I'm telling you, if you are not in my office in 15 minutes I will have you arrested in 20 minutes.” “For what?!!” “FOR INCEST!” “Oh no!” Ten minutes he came rushing in the office. His wife sobbed and begged him to forgive her. He was completely broken. He begged forgiveness and Hegge led both of them to Christ. Then they called in the 12 year old daughter and she forgave her father for molesting her. The happy family lived on following the Lord.

Another time a woman came in a said, “I have no idea why I am here. My marriage is terrible and I am 100% committed to getting a divorce. But my friend made me promise that before I signed the papers I would speak to you.” He asked, “What is the problem?” “Bad chemistry.” “Horse manure. Rabbits breed.” The woman was Catholic and Hegge got out his Catholic Bible that he kept in his drawer for talking to Catholics. He showed her in the scripture that she didn't have grounds for a divorce. He said, “I am sorry but my Boss said you can't get a divorce.” She asked “Are you Catholic?” “Yes, I am a priest.” “Do you have communion and go to confession?” “Yes, everyday.” She had never met anyone so devout. She reluctantly agreed not to proceed with the divorce but warned her father was a district judge and her husband was a lawyer and a very dangerous man. Everyone was totally committed to a divorce. 

A few days later Hegge had a phone call from a very irate man. “Iverson, what are you doing messing with my divorce?” “I'm sorry, sir, but my Boss told me that you can't do it.” “Iverson, I'll have you in court. I am a member of the largest law firm in the state of Washington.” “Little boy, you and your two bit law firm aren't big enough to take us on. I am a member of the biggest law firm in the universe.”

They agreed to meet at the Seattle Yacht Club for lunch. While they were eating the man demanded, “Iverson, who is your boss. I am going to squash him like a bug.” “Jesus Christ!” The husband dropped his fork and gasped, “Oh no! Oh no! Let's get out of here.” The two of them went back to Hegge's office and Hegge led him to Christ. Hegge said every year he gets a lovely Christmas card with a beautiful picture of the happy Christian family lined up with all five kids. 

There is more. We had four days of that in Karuizawa. Some people protested, “Not everyone is as clairvoyant as you are”. That certainly is true. He was he most clairvoyant man I ever met. Hegge countered that by saying, “Everyone has a degree of clairvoyance by virtue of the fact that they have the witness of the Holy Spirit in them. The one thing that stood out the most about Hegge Iverson was he was the most over-the-top, given-to-Jesus, man I ever met. He consistently walked out in areas with the Lord where no one else would dare to go. His motto was “We can help you” and he counted on the Lord to be with him and do things for him on a daily basis that was unthinkable for most.

Hegge has long since gone to join that large assembly before the Throne worshiping the Lamb. Someday we will all have the chance to join them and it will be great to hear the rest of the story.

                                                                             bill