This was given to a parishoner at our Church, after praying, confessing and asking God to have mercy on us.
Matthew 3 v10-12
(John the Baptist speaking to the Pharisees and Sadducees)
The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. “I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.
Therefore be alert, sober and aware; prepare and be grounded in Christ for the times to come. This is the key; for there is no other foundation that will endure.
The Age To Come 
Peter – I have no problem with being prepared, but how do you pray for family members who as far as you know do not know the Lord. How do we pray – “Lord bring them into the Kingdom and have mercy upon them” – and all others for that matter. I know the Lord is in control and that he is continually drawing them by the Holy Spirit, but I still feel ambivalent about the second coming. Thanks.
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Hi Pauline,
It’s a big question, all wrapped up in heaven / hell and the suchlike. I think the key is as you have mentioned it – prayer; the most powerful thing in the world.
I’d also say that this post wasn’t directly referrring to the second coming, more that the call at this time, especially at this time, is to be secure in the Lord. Then, when all other things are stripped away, who knows, you may well be in a position to help family and friends who have lost everything they trusted in.
Judgment maybe, but it will prove a mercy to some.
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Greetings. Your response to the first comment is something that I have pondered. I know that judgment is in the land and that the status quo will soon be a memory. My household is not saved and I have wondered if perhaps when everything is turned upside down they will be ready to hear truth. Also, as mentioned, prayer without ceasing is imperative coupled with walking in the Spirit at all times. May we all be sober-minded and firmly established as the times are most perilous.
Have a blessed day in Christ.
timbob
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With the caveat that we all see through a glass dimly, but with the additional understanding that I’m not alone in seeing these things – I would say that we enter a time of ‘severe mercy’ – the kind that looks like judgment, and indeed is, but yet contains the seed of mercy.
That is why, I think, we are being prepared. When the storms come, that we can stand firm, our security not being in things of this world, but in our God and Father of all. And then, perhaps we will, for a season, have an opportunity to reach the lost.
I am perhaps the worlds worst evangelist, however it does seem very real to me that many simply do not ‘need’ God. They have everything they need to make life comfortable, and certainly possess the means to drown out any nagging lack. When that is stripped away, what then? Perhaps, for a while, ears and eyes will be opened to real need. If the Church is ready then, we can reap a real harvest for our Lord. Some will be genuine, others fall away, but that is not in our hands (though, I would contend, discipleship should go hand in hand with evangelism to grow up believers in the faith).
As things are now, I’ll share just a little more – noting that this is open to discernment at the moment and something I would not put further forward than a ‘sense’ of the times. With that said, what I have is that the period of ‘warning’ and ‘exhortation’ has come to a close, and that we are now entering into a new period where havens are set up to rescue those who can be rescued. Not set up by us either, but something the Lord has prepared from long ago, and we are to enter into it as the Spirit directs.
I hesitate to share this, however there it is and you can discern the truth or otherwise. It’s something I’m more comfortable leaving as a comment, rather than a full post at this time. In any case, as I said, we all but see through a glass dimly.
Blessings,
Peter
PS I added you to my blogroll Timbob, and I’ll try and pop round as often as I can, as long as the Lord continues to have me blog.
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My husband retired last year and myself 4 years ago. We always said we would move when we retired and do all those things we always wanted to do i.e. acreage, live by the lake, closer to family, but as we started to look towards a move everything upset us and after much prayer we both came to the conclusion that we were meant to stay right where we are! I would say we are in a haven. Our oldest son and his family now tells us that they plan to leave where they are living and it is a good job we didn’t move. The garden, the neighbourhood, the place we live (Kingston) has never been more beautiful than this year and we are content. I hope it can be a haven in the future for ourselves and others.
But darn it, if there is no second coming yet I will have to finish painting the bedroom!
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Peter, glad to see the post and comment, just today I had this feeling come over me
again that something is near. I think you are right, one season has ended and another began, all though a certain amount of warning and exhortation must continue.
Perhaps it;s time for those who are called to prepare places to prepare, and those called to cry out to cry out still. and for those called to disciple to do so as never before…
we all need to hear and know what Gods word is for us at this time.
Just some thoughts … 🙂
Blessings to you,
Susan
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I am not much given to public utterances however I was deeply moved by my study this morning. My notes (Every Day with Jesus from CWR ) have been leading me through Nehemiah and there is much in the opening chapters that speaks to our situation now.
If I might share what I wrote this morning in response to Nehemiah 2:19-21:
‘As soon as Nehemiah makes his purposes known the opposition becomes real and personal, and begins making threats- not just on their own behalf but they also invoke the higher political authority. These threats may have worked in the past when the people were leaderless and less sure of their mission. Now under Nehemiah the people of Jerusalm have a godly leader who is certain of his god given mission and is not intimidated by secular authority whose argument is not based on the Word of God but on personal agendae.
Nehemiah also makes it clear that the rebuilt city is not going to be ‘inclusive’, those outside Jerusalem and not of the faith will have no part of what is going to be built. They have made their position clear – by their past and present actions.
Nehemiah is building a new city of God according to the call of God and makes no apologies for it!
1.
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Sorry, I was pre-emepted and it got pasted before editing etc.
My last points were:
1. We need to be sure of the call of God before we set out.
2. Make no apologies to the opposition.
3. Build the new city for those who want to be in it.
Blessings.
Rev.
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Pauline – like they say, blossom where you’re planted 🙂
Susan – Yup, certainly it is not an exclusively defined ‘season’. Let’s reframe a little and say the sense is that we move into a time that will change our focus….well, truly, perhaps it is just my focus that is changing, however I have the ‘sense’ of a wider game afoot, too.
Rev – Amen, thank you for that. If you build it, they will come.
Blessings,
Peter
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