Earlier I commented on peoples reluctance to face the truth about the end-times. If anyone speaks of what is perceived as doom or gloom, it is poo pooed or labeled as bringing fear. If anyone speaks of laying down our lives, as Jesus commanded, it is called religious. It seems very few want to embrace the gospel, what Jesus said, and what the epistles clearly say about the end times and His Kingdom. Have we in the western church embraced a false gospel, or at best, a gospel of grace with no responsibility? When anyone speaks of walking in God’s holiness or the responsibilities that come with His grace, or America and the world going through very hard times ahead, it seems we swim in the river of denial. When we ask the church to prepare for what is ahead most seem to ignore the clear warnings that God is sending through is true prophets. Are we really any different than the Israel of the Old and New Testament? Are we even reading and studying our bibles, allowing Holy Spirit to help us see His truth, or are we blissfully going through life as if everything is alright?

  True prophets are not operating in the gift of prophesy, which is designed to lift us up and encourage. True prophets warn God’s people of what is coming and challenge us on our lukewarm behavior. True prophets bring needed correction to His people and warn of the consequences of ignoring the correction. God does this out of His great love for us, not to attempt to punish us. In fact He is trying to bring us to place where we won’t get ourselves caught up in reaping what is being sown, for our own good. I want to make it clear, I am no prophet or apostle but I have been given an apostolic ministry. I am apostolic minded and want to see His church reach full maturity. I am not pastoral and my mindset is one of speaking clearly and without apology about bringing heaven to earth. God indeed has a great plan for His end time Church but it will require great sacrifice on our parts in order to walk in it. I am only saying what Jesus said in His Word and what others have said in the epistles. We are echoing theirs, and the men and women of God today, who are declaring a “Call to Prepare!”

  PERFECT AUTHORITY REQUIRES PERFECT SUBMISSION! It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see the current condition of our world and the church. Anyone who is looking can see that we are falling woefully short as His Church and it is time we admit the truth. This is not doom and gloom. Although we are not currently walking as perfected, mature sons and daughters of God, we can if we choose to. We first must admit the truth about where we are currently at as individuals and corporately as a church. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (that’s in the bible) Legally and Judicially we have been given everything that Jesus paid for us on the cross and have been given a “credit” of being perfect, holy, justified and righteous, and so much more. That is God’s perfect grace and it is by His grace alone that we can become fully mature but it is still ONLY done by our choice. Our choice is whether or not we will allow God to perfect us, to allow Him to crucify our flesh, and be willing to die to our self nature. Although legally His Kingdom is “available” to us all, we must admit that we have not “appropriated” or experienced all that has been given to us.

  Daddy wants to give us His Kingdom more than we even want it but He cannot give it to us in its fullness, in our current condition. That would be like giving the keys to a Ferrari to an 8 yr. old. (well, sort of). I believe with all my heart that we can and will, on this earth, walk as fully mature Son’s and Daughters of God, in union with Jesus, as sinless men and women, based on the authority of His Word. It certainly will not be by our own efforts but rather by His grace but we must make ourselves willing vessels. Eph. 4:13 AMP says, “That it might develop until we all attain oneness in the faith and in the comprehension of the full and accurate knowledge of the Son of God, that we might arrive at really mature manhood, the completeness of personality which is nothing less than the standard height of Christ’s own perfection, the measure of the stature of the fullness of the Christ and the completeness found in Him.” Did you get that? God’s Word says, “nothing less than the standard height of Christ’s own perfection”! This is not talking about the here after, it is talking about this lifetime. If you back up and look at verses 11 and 12 you will see His intentions for the 5 fold ministry was to perfect and to fully equip the saints, for the work of ministering toward building up Christ’s body, the church. We don’t need built up in heaven, we need it now!

  Jesus will crucify your sin nature and you will become like Christ, Christ like, if you choose to cooperate with God’s grace, the work of Holy Spirit, as you allow Him to take you through this very painful process. The root of self runs very deep. Trials, tribulations, loss and pain are all part of God’s perfect plan to help perfect us. Jesus set that biblical example for us and the Word says that He was perfected by suffering. 1Peter 2:21 states, “for even to this were you called, it is inseparable from your vocation. For Christ also suffered for you, leaving you His personal example, so that you should follow in His footsteps.” Romans 15:3 says “for Christ did not please Himself, gave no thought of own interests, but as it is written, The reproaches and abuses of those who reproached and abused you, fell on Me. (Ps. 69:9) What a privilege and honor it is to accept the “call to prepare” to become His Bride. For those He foreknew of whom He was aware and loved beforehand, He also destined from the beginning, foreordaining them, to be molded into the image of His Son and share inwardly His likeness, that He might become the firstborn among many brethren. Amen!