And These Are My People!

I awoke at 2:30. There were words ringing in my ears. They were hard words and they were words I'd felt were rising up within me even last night at prayer at church. But I couldn't put a voice to those words then. It was as if I needed to "sleep" on it awhile.

This is a word that is hard to swallow and it's for believers, non-believers who wish to listen and learn and for the Church in general. This is a bit out of the ordinary for my blogs. Pressing the "publish" key has been difficult...not that many even read this. I spent the day dragging my feet to post...vacuuming, working in the garden and my favorite job, cleaning the litter box. Apart from the frivolity here, there's a seriousness in this message. Remember, I was awakened and needed to write.

Wake up, says the Lord. The days are getting short for the arrival of the King. No, the world will not end, but I will send my Son to bring judgment to those who do not take Me seriously. 

We heard a word last night that spoke of the Church, our church and for each of us. Too many churches are preaching in a worldly style, to bring in the masses. They/we are compromising truth for words people are more comfortable hearing. They are afraid of turning people away with a hard message of what we see happening in the world. Or maybe they don't see it happening. Not all churches view the days at hand in the same way. 

The world sleeps and is in danger of falling away if we do not hear hard words of God spoken in the pulpit. What are those words? To wake up. To listen. To heed.

Those who profess to know My Son cannot sit in arrogance and pride in the pews thinking they are safe in their salvation. There can be no complacency. Even believers will miss My return if they aren't careful and heed My words. Even My leaders, if they fail to open the eyes of My people whom they shepherd and serve. They carry a heavy load. To those I have given much, much will be expected.

The days are drawing nearer and although I love all, My holiness stands between us. And it is those who seek My holiness as it stands and do not shrink away from it who will be the remnant in the last days. Churches fail for lack of knowledge, just like the people referred to in Hosea 4:6. These are all My people. But not all My people, like those in the desert with Moses, will make the journey successfully. I see a generation arising which will not know who I am if I am not shared with this generation, and that includes both the love and the judgmental things of Me. 

There was a generation that did not know Joseph so they knew not all that I was. My righteousness is extended to all but only a few will accept. There is a fear of being looked at as holier than thou, but I tell you that is what I expect. Not in your own strength but through the power of My Holy Spirit. 

You cannot sit by idly awaiting My return. You must be tending your lamps, checking the oil and trimming the wicks in anticipation of My return. Are you ready or are you going to sit back with your comforts, ears tuned to other things? You have not seen the worst of an angry God. You see a world in turmoil and you shake your heads and wonder what's going on. What's up with Mother Nature, you ask. I spit those words out of My mouth. 

Heed My words. I am not just a loving God. I am filled with righteous indignation against even those who call Me their children when they twist the truth. They think they are secure. And these are My people! What about those who do not know Me? Hear My voice. I cannot tolerate a wishy washy belief of an Almighty God. I cannot allow My name to be bandied about like one would talk of the latest sports idol. No! I hold your life in My hands.

These last days may not be in my lifetime, but they're soon. The signs are showing this to us. We are not to lose our joy in the midst of these things, but we are to take seriously the things of God. We cannot put Him on a shelf and take Him down when appropriate for us. He cannot be hidden away in a closet somewhere to be pulled out when we think it's time to put Him on. He's an eternal God, the likes of which we cannot fully comprehend. His name is to be reverenced, not used in vain. 

He is to be the first thought by morning and last at night. What are we willing to give up to do this? This is a word for me as well as many others. Do we arise with adoration on our lips? Do we go to sleep at night with thankfulness and confidence that we have been obedient to Him? And just what is that obedience? What does it look like? We are all going to fail time and again, but what does He call us to do? Do we hear Him when He calls? Do we really know His voice? Do we want to?

If we show up week after week at church waiting to hear Him speak are we hearing Him? Are we just playing church, settling for a nice word but not willing to listen to one that stings? There is a way that seems right but is foolish to those who are perishing. Is the Church perishing? Is that second cup of free coffee tickling your fancy over the sermon? Is the sermon holding our interest? Is the message convicting? Is the message even heaven sent? 

The Word of God is truth. Those who believe these truths, who search for them, are in better standing and have a better chance of receiving the victory in the end. But some can still be misguided if our pulpits are not showing us. Truths can be hard...and they can be promises for those who believe the truth. God does not change. What He says in His Word needs to be taken seriously. But aren't we all falling a bit short? I've mentioned time and again I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop. Will it be in the world or of the Lord?

I was hard on Israel. Don't think I can't be hard on you too. I am not one who will accept a light hearted opinion of who I am.

God's Transformations

1Corinthians 1:27-29 - But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence.

This is how God works! We think we are so smart, so creative, so wise...but none can compare to the omniscient God, a God who knows everything. So often He gets hold of the lowest of persons, takes hold of their hearts and transforms them into what He originally made them to be.
There's a song the lyrics from which say:

I stand amazed in the presence

Of Jesus the Nazarene,

And wonder how He could love me,

A sinner, condemned, unclean.

This is what our amazing God does. I love the fact that He takes the weak and base things of the world. And we all fit into these two categories. In our own selves we are both weak and base in His eyes. We start out as that sinner, condemned and unclean in His eyes. Before you get your undies in a bundle, listen to these words: ...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God... [and] God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 3:23, Romans 5:8)

I was surprised the other day when a friend made mention of the fact that Milwaukee's own claim to horrific shame, Jeffrey Dahmer, who killed and ate parts of his victims, became a Christian in prison. We may look at ourselves and consider this man to have been a lot baser than we are, but let me tell you, in God's eyes sin is a sin. I asked how she know this for certain. She'd heard or read about it: And so God forgave even the basest of men. 

Jesus will do that. We cannot say one person deserves eternal life while others do not. Is it  fair that this man should receive forgiveness while another who lives an exemplar life but has never received the Lord as his Savior or one who has dedicated their life to serving God but still has not given their life to Christ as it is stated in the Bible? Yes. Again, before you get all riled up, God is the ultimate judge. 1Corinthians 4:5, Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the heart... 

Another example is Chuck Colson. Imprisoned for his part in the Watergate scandal, he received Christ and so boldly had his life turned around. He now developed Prison Fellowship ministry where Christ is shown to the inmates. God is incredible. We sometimes have to be at our lowest to be raised up in the eyes of God. It's ours for the taking. If we say we have no need of Him, we only fool ourselves. 

Why does God do this? To show others the power of God. To bring His glory in the circumstances. To show that something as amazing as the transformation of one's life could only happen through God's love, forgiveness and power. If we don't believe God can do what He says He can do, we show our ignorance...our foolishness, in God's eyes.

Jesus took fishermen, tax collectors and prostitutes and transformed them. He passed on the religious leaders because they thought they had all the answers and could not get beyond their religious attitudes and laws. Sometimes I think that's part of our problem, thinking we know better. He wanted lesser people so those around him would see the difference in their lives. God is a God of second chances. He wants to see all transformed. We should be thankful for that.

This might be offensive to some but it's the way He separates the wheat from the tares. Many of Jesus' words were hard. It's why there will be only a remnant of followers in the last days. It's why He tells us His way is narrow. There will be many not able to hear this hard message. So many who will continue in their foolishness, as the Word tells us. A hard word? Yes. Who can understand it? Those with faith and who believe God is who He says He is. Even Jesus' disciples had a hard time understanding all He said:

John 6:60 - "This is a hard saying; who can understand it?"