I am daily underestimating the kind of preparations that need to be made in my heart… my relationships… the way I think about God… etc. in order for me to receive and gladly herald the perfectly holy, loving, powerful, humble and “other” King on the horizon…

The paradigm-shift the Church and our world has entered into is unfathomable from a human perspective.

Consider: if Jesus’ first-coming to the single nation of Israel was prefaced by a massive move of repentance through the ministry of John the Baptist, what kind of move will it take to herald His second-coming to the whole earth?

We’ve never seen this kind of move of God before…

This King isn’t coming to make our churches big, or our political opinions more popular, or our lives more self-fulfilled. He’s coming to rule 195 nations, as well as the hearts and relationships of every soul on the planet!

Our world is about to go through the most cataclysmic transition in human history – from the age of Adam, and the curse of satanic rule – to an age where the Son of God Himself establishes His sovereign government upon the earth, and goodness and justice are the unopposed social, political and economic operational norms!

In this hour of preparation for His arrival, it makes sense that His (1 Peter 4:17) household would be on the precipice of a furious, soul-rending, fervid, can’t-make-it-stop, everywhere-present, unprecedented earthquake of repentance. The Word of the Lord has promised, every valley, every mountain, every crooked way, and every rough pathway will be brought into alignment with His ways (Isaiah 40:3) as the prelude to His arrival.

The shifting “understanding and expression of Christianity” is much more profound than we have yet believed. And, because of our reluctance to let go of the familiar, it will only “be accomplished” through the shifting of our hearts as we obediently respond to the judgements of the Lord. None-the-less, the signs from the Word and the Voice of the Spirit are telling us that everything is beginning to fall into place – just as He said it would.

A year ago Mike Bickle wrote: “Friends, we can not afford to be Biblically illiterate in this hour, or our hearts will end up confused and offended by the increased shaking (the judgements of the Lord) on the earth.”

If we can say anything about the shaking of this past year, it’s that it produced great confusion and offense within the people of God. It’s important that we settle in our minds that the shaking will only escalate from here on out beloved. Elements of the Church will only grow more confused and offended. Those who embrace humility, “seek His Face”, and align ourselves to His dawning eternal order will find ourselves more and more alien to the thrashing vestige of this world – both in and out of the Church.

In view of this, (as Hebrews 12:25-28 instructs us) it is supremely wise to “rejoice with trembling” (Psalm 2:11) at the working of the Lord within our midst. Only those who say with the Psalmist: “My soul breaks with longing for Your judgments at all times” (Psalm 119:20) will ultimately have grace to say “we love the day of His appearing.” (2 Timothy 4:8)

“Only those who say with the Psalmist: “MY SOUL BREAKS WITH LONGING FOR YOUR JUDGEMENTS AT ALL TIMES” (Psalm 119:20) will ultimately have grace to say, “WE LOVE THE DAY OF HIS APPEARING.” (2 Timothy 4:8)

This is the responsive, self-crucifying attitude that will sufficiently prepare us for the arrival of a King Whose government will be unlike anything we’ve ever seen.

It’s going to be worth it all…

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JSB • April, 2021