Today while in the word (Matthew 21) I read how Jesus entered Jerusalem. He came in riding on a donkey’s colt. I did not think too much about this, because I have read it so many times before. However, as I read my next section of the Word of God (Zechariah 9), the same event of Jesus riding in on a colt was described prophetically. My spirit strongly sensed that this was not a coincidence for me to read in two very different books of the Bible in the same quiet time about Jesus Christ riding into Jerusalem.
I then asked, “Lord, what are You saying here?” Then I shared it with Carol what I read and how I felt and she strongly replied: “The Lord is coming!”
Great news right? So, if the Lord is coming, and we KNOW that He is and that we are to be ready for Him, then we also know from Scripture (from what the Lord taught His disciples) that right before He returns there is a great purification of the church. What is this purification?
The Lord also teaches in His Word that suffering persecution and martyrdom for Christ’s Kingdom is what perfectly purifies His people.
Then the verse came to me that is found in Luke 1:17, about a people being prepared for the Lord. A question came to me (from the Lord). “Are the pastors of My churches preparing My children for what is coming? If not, then why not?”
As I began to think about the answer to His question, it came to me that most pastors are not called to be teachers. A pastor is to “care for the flock.” Where in Scripture does it say that pastors must teach, lead and act as the “head” of the church? (It doesn’t.) Could this be why so many pastors are worn out and even falling into temptation – trying to do what man thinks they should be doing? Could this be that when pastors do teach (bring their Sunday morning message) it is mostly about peaceful green pastures with gentle streams running through it; or in other words, “feel good messages?” Could this be why so many Christian millennials are walking away from the church? Because they certainly are! Could this be why so many believing men cannot relate with the church, and simply stay home or do something else on Sundays? Because they do!
The truth is that Jesus IS coming and the Church for the most part, is not ready for what is coming that they and their little ones will experience.
Part of being ready for what is coming is to be put through the “bath of purification” (as it came to me). I believe we (Christians) here in America are going to get our “bath,” whether we want it or not. I’m reminded of how our little children (especially our boys) hated baths. They’d fight it, but eventually they’d lose that battle.
The Lord has shown me that we, His Church, have about 4 years of coming to the truth that we need a “bath.” And, then after our bath-time we’ll be clean and bright, ready for what comes next with the Lord. We will take advantage of every opportunity the Lord shows us, and we’ll walk through every open door from God, that no man can shut. Like Joseph who went through his uncomfortable “bath-time,” and was then ready for the Lord’s good purpose, which was to help his family with provision during famine, we will also. We will be in position to help in many different ways and places. This is something to rejoice over, and with our children right beside us.
We do not fear and hide out as evil rapidly intensifies in our world and nation. We stand firm in who we are “in Christ Jesus” and finish what is ours to do that God prepared for us to do in our lifetime. Our children desperately need to be ready both spiritually and physically, in practical ways.