The city of Jerusalem had been devastated, as the result of God's judgment upon a prior generation of unfaithful Jews. Yet, God was willing that a later generation should return and rebuild that city ~ which, Jerusalem, is a type of the Church. It is notable that Jerusalem was rebuilt at a time when that city was surrounded by enemies and there was great opposition to that work. For, not only is the story of Nehemiah true history, but it is meant to give instruction and encouragement to the End-time Church (see, 1 Corinthians 10:11).
God has judged the Church in America ~ because of the unfaithfulness of the prior generation(s). The Apostasy is that judgment. Today, though America is filled with churches and even mega-churches; and, though there does remain in America a faithful Remnant of Christ's disciples; yet, the Church, as such, is in ruins ~ similarly as in the time of Nehemiah there remained a remnant of Jews which lived in the environs of the ruins of Jerusalem.
Is it possible that God may be willing that this last generation of Christians should rebuild the Church in America? (Be careful not to think of the "Church" as being some worldly institution involving buildings and organizations, etc..) What Scriptural reasons are there which seem to suggest that God may not at this late date be willing to bless as to give His assistance to any substantial work of spiritual rebuilding?
There is, first of all, both the Biblical prophecies as well as there is the actual fact, of the Apostasy. That factor is not insignificant, but the Apostasy rather appears as an insurmountable obstacle to any spiritual rebuilding effort. Too, there is the deeply troubling question which Jesus himself put ~ to us, when he asked: "[W]hen the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?" (Luke 18:8). Not least important, we know that the Church will soon be removed from the earth, at the Rapture; after which Antichrist shall appear. Doubtless in the minds of many sincere Christians, those factors combine to suggest that the best we can any of us do is to hold on and ride out the storm until Jesus comes.
Meanwhile, the Apostate Church is minded literally to take over the whole world by means of their pseudo-gospel based upon Dominionist ideology (link), and by means of Rick Warren's (author of "Purpose Driven Life") secular P.E.A.C.E. plan.
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But is there nothing in Scripture which is meant to give us a different, that is, a hopeful view of the closing days of the Church Age? Is it not curious that Jesus ~ who at all other times spoke with authority and certainty concerning future events, chose to put it in the form of a question, whether he will find faith on the earth when he comes for the Church? Does that not at least suggest the possibility that Christ will return to find a faith-filled Church? In light of Christ's own character and Mission, should we not take that question to mean that the answer to that question depends upon us?There is also that great and wonderful promise in Scripture, namely: "[I]t shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: and on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy" (Acts 2:17-18). The great worldwide Revival during the latter part of the nineteenth-century thru the early part of the twentieth-century notwithstanding; yet, those were not the "last" days, strictly speaking: for, we are now about a century past that time period. In the most literal sense, these days in which we are now living are the "last" days. Thus we should be encouraged to seek God for the fulfilling of that promised outpouring of the Holy Ghost. And why not? Are we not still living in the Church Age ~ which is the Dispensation of the Holy Ghost in the Church?
Finally, we are given in Scripture to understand that Christ is returning to receive unto himself a Bride ~ which "hath made herself ready" (Revelation 19:7), "not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing...and without blemish" (Ephesians 5:27). Dare we suppose that the Bride of Christ (the Church) ~ thus purified and prepared, should nevertheless be powerless, unfruitful, and ineffectual? Furthermore, Jesus said that he will build his Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it (Matthew 16:18).
It appears, then, that the one thing that is wanting, in order to see a great End-time Revival, is that the Bride of Christ (the Church) must first be purified and prepared for Christ's coming. But can we, as individual Christians, do that? Or, is that rather something which we are waiting upon God to do for us?
The Apostate Church insists that it is neither possible nor yet is it even desirable, for the Church to be purified of all sin and living in keen anticipation of Christ's return. Jesus is the only one who is holy, they say. He was perfect and without sin ~ for us; so, that we don't have to be (without sin), they actually say. In fact, they say, that if we even suppose, much more if we strive, to live free from all sin: then we are thus guilty of trampling the "grace" of God and basing our hopes upon our own self-righteousness.
Hogwash! That is the gospel from hell! That is just why the Apostate Church is not going in the Rapture, but all those who are a part of that wicked religious apostasy are going to incur the wrath of God without mercy, during the soon-coming Tribulation.
God cannot and will not repent for anyone. Neither can God believe for anyone. Nor yet can God obey for anyone. God cannot and will not desire, nor seek, nor pray; but I must do that; you must do that.
A couple of days ago, the Lord gave me a beautiful revelation in his Word. It is based upon the story in 2 Kings chapter 4, where a poor widow woman was in danger of losing her two sons to her debtors. She went to the man of God, Elisha, for help. Here is the pertinent text:
"Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the LORD: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen. And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil. Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few. And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and shalt pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full. So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured out. And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto her, There is not a vessel more. And the oil stayed. Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest."The beginning of the miracle was in the woman herself: she had to have oil in her own house; the source of the oil ~ which is a symbol of the Holy Ghost ~ had to abide within herself. But she was impoverished, and her household was endangered because of her poverty. (The Church is presently impoverished, and so the household of the Church is thus endangered because of the Church's spiritual poverty.) The answer to her need was a miraculously abundant supply of oil. (Is that not intended as a metaphor for a great outpouring of the Holy Ghost?) But in order for there to be a great outpouring of oil, there first had to be sought and prepared a very large ("not a few") collection of "empty vessels." (This represents numbers of people whose hearts are 'emptied' and thus 'prepared.' That heart-preparation is the result of much prayer, on the part of those seeking God for Revival; and, through the right preaching of the Word.) The woman had to go to her neighbors, to borrow their vessels! In other words, God is waiting for us ~ who have oil in our house ~ to reach out to our neighbors, to gather together those 'vessels' of theirs into our house, before that God can then miraculously fill those vessels with oil...from our pot of oil!
Clearly, the woman had first to do some work, before she could receive her miracle from God. She had to go to her neighbors and ask to borrow as many empty vessels as would each lend. Doubtless, she took those vessels home and went to work, thoroughly cleaning each and every one of those vessels (who knows what they had previously been used for?) ~ because, she was in expectation of those vessels being filled with precious oil!
Do we want Revival? Do we have any oil in our own "pot" ~ our own spirit? But have we gone to our neighbors seeking to borrow their empty vessels ~ their unsaved family members? And, then, have we labored to clean those empty vessels, through much prayer and fasting, and through teaching and preaching the Truth to them?
Yet, it shall not be necessary that every person, whom God will bless in Revival, must first be gathered together into one place and at one time, in order for Revival to begin. No. But we must begin to prepare ourselves, in faith and in our efforts aimed expectantly to receive the outpouring of God's Spirit in sweeping Revival power!
See, how necessary it is that we ourselves must first be persuaded that we can have Revival ~ if we ever shall then begin earnestly to seek that from the Lord, and to set ourselves accordingly to pray and to work for that amongst the people.
I tell you the truth: God is working mightily to raise up some who will believe Him and who will seek Him with their whole heart, for Revival. God is going to have an End-time harvest of souls, in America. The only question is, whether you will get on board with what the Holy Ghost is doing ~ or not. But if you will not take God seriously at this time ~ and yet you call yourself by His blessed Name; then, know this: that you are presently a great hindrance to that which God is wanting to do in you and in those around you. What that unbelief, that obstinacy, may cost you before the Lord, only God knows.
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