The Lord is purifying a Bride for His Son.
We Americans are (present tense, in October 2022) being transformed and prepared for the return of a Perfect King Who will rule the nations with perfect love and perfect justice and perfect integrity.

In case we need to be reminded, “His ways are NOT our ways.” :)

Not withstanding, our hearts were designed to thrill and be supercharged under His style of leadership.
We just don’t know it – or fully believe it – yet. (We will…)

EVERYTHING that’s happening in our world right now is being used by a perfect God to bring our hearts into perfect alignment with the perfect reign of this King.
Everything.
Personal acrimony.
Politics.
Church tensions.
Family fracturing.
Gender confusion.
Plagues. Masks. And vaccines.
Racial insensitivity.
War. And threat of war.
Social media interactions.
Economics.
Everything. 

We are being prepared to herald a new type of leadership that is completely foreign to the weary weary way of the world. It is more noble; more glorious; more efficient; more empowering; more holy; and more fulfilling than anything we’ve ever seen or imagined. And it’s coming – with Him.

Although His ways are foreign to the ways of the world, our transformation to His ways should not be foreign to us. Our transformation is a central part of our covenant with Him.

The New Testament is filled with scriptures that describe our need to be radically reoriented to His government, and His way of thinking and ruling and living.
Isaiah 40:3-5
Matthew 4:4
Luke 6:25
Galatians 4:19
Ephesians 5:28
Colossians 1:28
Hebrews 12:29
1 John 3:3
Revelation 3:1-2
Revelation 3:19
Revelation 19:7

It’s all in the Book.

Having said this, our hearts are in need of (MUCH) more alignment than we are consciously aware of.
The truth of the matter is, our hearts are actually (even now, in our redeemed state) more resistant to the ways of His leadership than we know…
Our hearts see more wisdom in pride than in humility.
Our hearts like to force our own way more than trust the ways of meekness.
Our hearts are still more exhilarated by unrighteousness than being exhilarated by righteousness.
Our hearts are bent toward self-justification more than ruthless purity of heart.
Our hearts are spring-loaded toward alienation and separation. We don’t love mercy-giving much – at all.
Our hearts bulge with curse and violence rather than blessing and peace.
We’re still much more filled with arguments about saving self than we are about ways to lay our self down for the sake of the increase of Jesus and His ways. 

If we don’t understand that ALL THE CURRENT EVENTS AND CRISES in our lives right now are about shaping our hearts to embrace and champion His ways we will misread EVERYTHING that’s circulating in our culture right now.

The raw, Biblical truth is: If the Lord did not send us tribulation (“trouble”) our hearts would not do the hard work of moving from our self-centered paradigms into the ways of His Kingdom.
And we would NOT do the disciplined work of making ourselves ready, and bringing our hearts and minds into agreement with the way He will run His government on the earth.

When we say “yes” to this transformation our hearts remain “alive” to His leadership. 
When we start saying “no” to the necessary transformation of our heart, we become “dead” to His leadership. (Revelation 3:1)

One of the most efficacious prayers we can pray and live right now is to pray: “Father, I want to live fully alive to the perfect leadership of Your Son. Teach me to embrace and even rejoice in Your judgments. I want to come forth in vibrant Christlikeness. I want my heart to be in ‘PERFECT’ agreement with the way Your Son will rule and reign on the earth. Though it cost me my life, I choose to leave my impoverished land of pride and force and unrighteous affections and self-promotion and curse and war and alienation in order to become a subject of the government of Jesus. He Himself is worthy of my allegiance.”

One day, when we see Him face to Face, we will be filled with unimaginable joy over the fact that we said “Yes” to living alive to His present-tense leadership.

____________________
JSB • October 12, 2022