Ready Bride?!

Let me begin with this...

How is your spirit? Do you know it's health condition? This is life's ultimate question: What's next, after this...life?

If you are a born-again believer in The Lord Jesus Christ, then you know the answer: eternity.

But if you are not a believer, it may surprise you to know that the answer is still the same: eternity.

This life, physical, on planet Earth, is transient. It is a journey through and to our final destination. Everything in your life matters-everything. Every word, every action builds and creates the life you call your own. The life that was given to us, humanity, by a sovereign Creator, God. God is real-invisible (now) but real. And one day soon, He will make himself known to all mankind.

The question I ask today is: Will we be ready?

You might be wondering, if you're a Christian, why you would need to be ready. The reason is simple. Jesus Himself tells us to be ready (Matthew 24; Mark 13: Luke 21).

I believe that the 'rapture' is biblical (1 Thessalonians 4). And I also believe that The Tribulation (period) begins after the bride is taken up. I have a post called "Pre-Trib, Post-Trip, What Trib?!" that explains in some detail the sequence of some biblical timelines concerning the end of the age. I encourage you to read this (soon).

If you have not been paying close attention- things have gone awry in the world. This is awful and heartbreaking. But, it is prophesied in The Bible. We are warned that these things will take place. And we are also instructed to be ready when they do. Ready for what?

Ready to be used by God to help and minister to the poor, the sick, the weak, the weary, the broken... all the souls of mankind.

But before that, we have to be prepared- spiritually.

It bears repeating: How is your spirit? Do you know the condition of your soul?

 Are there areas in your life that you struggle with which have not been given to God?
 Are you walking in love? Have you forgiven? Are you surrendered to Christ?

Galatians 5:19-21 (Amp) gives us this dire warning:

"Now the practices of the [a]sinful nature are clearly evident: they are sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality (total irresponsibility, lack of self-control), 20 [b]idolatry, [c]sorcery, hostility, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions [that promote heresies], 21 envy, drunkenness, riotous behavior, and otherthings like these. I warn you beforehand, just as I did previously, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God."
Paul is writing to the Galatians in the context of walking in the spirit so that we will not gratify the desires of the flesh (verse 16).
and this list of manifestations of the flesh is quite extensive and severe. But throughout the new testament we are admonished and encouraged to leave the old way of life (before being born of the Spirit) and embracing the new life (in Christ, through Christ).

Sanctification is a natural and necessary stage of our Christian walk. It is vital that we allow The Holy Spirit to work in and through us for the glory of God.

The Lord is sanctifying us. Now. He is allowing us to go through trials and testings of our faith to bring us closer to Him. It is His will to find His bride ready at His coming.

Are we allowing Him to sanctify us?

Some years back I remember some words that The Lord put in my spirit: We will either be refined now, or refined later but we will be refined. Then He led me to a verse in Zechariah 13:8-9 :

"In the whole land, declares the Lord,

two thirds shall be cut off and perish,

and one third shall be left alive.

9 And I will put this third into the fire,

and refine them as one refines silver,

and test them as gold is tested.

They will call upon my name,

and I will answer them.

I will say, ‘They are my people’;

and they will say, ‘The Lord is my God.’”

It is paramount that we understand when He is doing this- refining us. It is vital.

So, what happens if we don't yield when The Lord God is asking us to? We will be refined. Now, when things are somewhat familiar and 'normal'. Or later, when things are strange and chaotic. But we are called to be a spotless bride before Him- without spot or blemish (2 Peter 3:14).

Are we a ready bride? Then let us yield to The Holy Spirit and be sanctified. May we be refined as He allows and wills, so that we may be able to stand before The Son of Man, The soon coming King, The Bridegroom.

All Who Are Weary...Go To Him

If The Lord Jesus has woken you to the hour we live in, you are likely to experience moments, times and seasons of feeling weary.

And this is normal.

When The Lord through The Holy Spirit woke me up in the fall of 2013, I was overwhelmed! I had to ask countless times in prayer if I was hearing correctly as I had been hearing what at the time sounded, well...absurd. But no, I was in fact hearing promptings, instructions, and warnings from The Lord. Keeping these things to myself initially was ok because, like our prayer closet it remains between God and self. But, then I was instructed to step out in faith and begin sharing, little by little, what God was showing me. This is when I began to experience the scoffs and alienation. “So...God talks to you and tells you things?” Yes. Doesn’t he talk to you to you?! Aren’t...we...supposed to hear His voice? Yes. We are...As He allows.

I remember going through a season of being puffed up that I was hearing from God, and I remember thinking: why are “they” not listening, why don’t they care?! Don’t they realize that we are living in the last days?! And so on... And one afternoon, The Holy Spirit convicted me on this by reminding me that I was able to see, hear and be awake by His will and His will alone. In other words, whatever I am shown has nothing to do with me. But I am blessed to be positioned to share, as He wills and when He wills.

I have many moments of weariness, even now. I mean, it’s daunting at times to think this: we are literally at the close of the age. Time is gonna stop. And before that there will be the worst time on earth- The Tribulation period. And before that will be many sorrows. And  many people we know and love will go through this, many of which won’t give us the time of day when we try to tell them this. It’s hearbreaking. We weep for them, we weep for ourselves, we weep with The Savior who did it all for us. Notwithstanding, we must battle against the enemy, the world, and the flesh which daily come against us trying to trip us up, cause us to sin or just plain want to forget anything God has shared with us.

Not one of us are immune to falling away. The Lord has graciously reminded me of a handful things He expects of me. And you better believe it’s a daily struggle. We all have them and we all know what they are. This is why we must learn to yield to The Holy Spirit and surrender them over. The Lord is coming for a spoltless bride. While I don’t think we could ever repent for every single sin (because if we thought we named them all, there is sure to be more we didn’t know about), but I do believe we can have a repentant heart that seeks to please The Lord in our daily walk. And we repent quickly, daily.

The Lord has impressed on my heart that we are all where He wants us to be. So there is no place for judgement in the body of Christ. One’s measurement of growth and fruit is only based on their knowledge and understanding. The Word of God tells us what, where, when and how of spiritual growth, and it is the only place we should look for the measuring stick. So whether you tend to judge or be judged- be encouraged- we will all give an account, not of our neighbor but of ourself.

Therefore, when we sound the alarm of The Lord’s Return, we must be sensitive to this truth: The Church (bride) is comprised of both the ‘rapture’ saints, and the ‘tribulation’ saints. And ‘there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus’. He has a plan for each of us- for His purpose, for His glory.

We did not wake ourselves up, and we cannot wake anyone else up.

We are responsible for what has been entrusted to us, to the glory of God. We share what The Holy Spirit prompts us to share. And we trust The Lord to reach His people in His time.

But we do get weary and this struggle is no small thing.

Things continue to become more bleak, more dark, more confusing. And we get weary. We cry for the lost. We cry for the lukewarm. We cry for ourselves. We know what’s upon us. We long for others to know and prepare. But in the midst we need to trust. Trust The God of all who holds all things together. Because, He has us all in the palm of His hand.

Remember, and I have said this before:

The Lord is preparing you, wherever you are. And as you seek Him with all your heart. He will guide and instruct you. Be encouraged. Be still and know He is God.