We were taught that the Church would escape the Great Tribulation. 

Jesus said that conditions would worsen on this Earth in a way they never have before or ever would be again.  Christ made it very clear that He would come back for a Bride without spot or wrinkle.

The work of perfecting the saints was to have been done all of this time, ever since the Apostles first wrote it.

The order in which the Church was to operate, was set out in a plain and simple manner — how we were to treat one another and the cost for not doing so, was also written plainly, easy to understand.

Our responsibility for restoring those who have fallen and how we were to go about it and the consequences of not doing so, were also taught to us by Christ as well as the Apostles.  We cannot say we did not know.  We’ve read it and heard it many times.

Almost no one wants to be warned about their actions, or lack thereof, these days.  If we knew more true Prophets among us, they would be governed, restrained and shackled to speak only what others approved of them saying.

The subject of restoring Apostolic revival in the American Church is about as stalled as ever.  Some are doing great things and there are mighty moves of the Spirit in certain places.

But what of the Body as a whole?

If you listen on the internet, the live broadcasts, the forums, video clips, anywhere there is networking or fellowship going on, you hear of widespread division and chaos in what we call, The Church.

It’s not just Pentecostals or Apostolics or whatever we call ourselves, but it is in every Christian Church and denomination.

Perilous times are here and everywhere we turn, even in our Churches.  I sincerely doubt that any good pastor, overseer, or saint in general, will tell you that we have reached the perfection Christ intended for His Body to have.

In the fear of The LORD, I say many of us thought Jesus was coming back years ago and He didn’t.  We said He could come back at any moment, and He could have, and He very well may still do so.  But what if He doesn’t come for some time yet?

The shaking that was predicted of our world, our country and the Church is not coming, but it is already here.

We see so much already happening in our world that makes it clear that many things prophesied in the Old Testament and New Testament are at our very door.

There is more disunity in our governments and political realms than ever seen and we as a people, appear to be split right down the middle on almost all issues.

There are more hungry people, more poor, more disasters and greed has overtaken us.  Don’t talk about the wars and rumors of wars.

In many cases, our Churches are split right down the middle also.  If one were to say that our fellowships were more in unity than ever, I think that would not be honest.

We are blaming all of this on the enemy.  Almost none of us consider the idea that God is actually allowing this shaking to go on and has given the order for the shaking himself.

This shaking bypassed some of us in the past years, because of God’s mercy.  However, the time has grown short and He has grown weary with waiting for us to see the truth for ourselves.

I can’t belabor this, I don’t have the strength.  Millions of sheep are lost and scattered.  I’m not talking about people who never knew The LORD, not about the tares or goats who never belonged to Him to begin with.

Sheep.  Brothers and Sisters, our own fellowmen!  Too many are testifying to the treatment they received at our hands.

The high tech capabilities make it possible for us to communicate in ways we never could before.  Too many, who are still in the Churches as we know them, are bearing witness to what they are seeing there.

Reports of hard-hearted saints, dictatorial pastors, one-fold ministries and substitutes of all kinds, to cover up the absence of real Spiritual depth are surfacing everywhere.

The divorce rate in what are called spirit-filled Churches is higher than anywhere else, because we are falling out of love with one another and nobody can help us.

There’s nobody you can trust to talk to — yet we think we are ready for Him to come at any moment, all in one mind and one accord, in unity as He desired and shining brightly to our full potential!

We know we’re not!!  But we have convinced ourselves or our ministers have led us to believe, that Jesus will come back for us just like we are.  Will He?

Every attempt to speak about these things is met with some kind of rebuttal or denial.  Those who dare to speak up are branded as troublemakers or dissenters.

We seem to have a scriptural excuse for every admonishment or correction that comes our way.  We say we know God’s Word and we think we have a clear understanding of what God can do and cannot do.

We reject the idea that all of the New Testament was written to us, not to the world.  Don’t reprove us, don’t correct us, don’t rock the boat and don’t you dare ask questions.

We are The Church, every single person, and The Church is in us, not in our rules or commonly shared opinions, our bylaws or charters.

If many of us saw mighty signs and wonders, we still would not believe, because our heart is not right.

Even so, after all the miracles, the gifts, faith that could move mountains, all of it, if we do not love as He loved it would profit us, nothing.

We don’t believe this either.  I think the Revival we talk about, boast about and crow about is very simple.  It’s the return to loving one another as we once did.

When that happens, great things will explode everywhere.  Being in one mind and one accord brought Pentecost.

God have mercy on me if I am wrong, because I know so little about God and how He thinks, but I feel that until we learn to love as Jesus Christ loved, He is not coming back for us.

Call me Doomsday, whatever — what would Christ want with all of this confusion and making excuses?

I’m afraid we are going to have to suffer some more things before we are ready to be honest and remember what our first love really was.

It’s getting rough in this old world and I want out of here.  I’m already crying “Come now, LORD Jesus!”  I feel forces gathering against us.

Our Apostles of whom we are so fond of, suffered in terrible ways we have known nothing of, as did some of the pioneers of the Church here.

Our Jesus went through things we have never had to face before, and was killed because He loved us.

Yet we argue, condemn, accuse, cause division, stir strife, leave the lost sheep to fend for themselves, spout rules and regulations, point fingers, speak about things we know nothing of, say we are the only ones right, teach everyone is going to hell who do not believe as we do, close our eyes to kingdom building, call things anointed that are not, and keep our mouths shut when we know we should be speaking under the unction of the Holy Ghost and taking the heat that goes with it.

I want to get out of here.

We can do so much together, and quickly, if we bind together the ways we once did.

If each one of us will love as we never have before, the Heavens will open and the King of Glory will come for us.

I want to get out of here!

First published: July 23, 2010.

~ Robert Blackburn

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Robert Blackburn

 

 

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