As a follow-up to What I Believe – The Storm is Coming, I would like to get your input on a couple of other things I have come to believe. First, I believe that my title for that first article is a bit misleading. I don’t believe the storm that is coming is “The Storm”, meaning the Great Tribulation. As we see in Matthew 24 and Mark 13, Jesus taught that there would be small “t” tribulations before the big “T” one occurred. This should be sobering news, particularly for those that think they are going to avoid suffering via a pre-Tribulation escape plan.
Secondly, I want to encourage you that spiritual preparation is paramount for everyone that believes a storm is coming. This is contrary to our protective nature; and contrary to what most of the world is promoting. Even in the church, many are encouraging – and selling – physical preparation (e.g., freeze dried food, hedge funds, guns and ammo, leaving the country). When you look at it from their perspective, you quickly learn that there are hundreds of things each of us could do to protect ourselves from the storm.
And that is the problem!!
How do we know which things to do? Do we use our rational mind to figure out strategy and plan? The number of contingencies would make any such plan impossible to execute. There are simply too many variables. So, do we do everything necessary to cover every possibility? Most of us lack the time and finances to do everything.
Our only hope for doing the right things is to position ourselves to hear, understand and obey the voice of God. This is not new to our walk with the Lord; but the stakes have grown considerably (more on this in a subsequent article). Hopefully, the urgency we feel in the physical will motivate us to find the center of God will in this season, as we prepare for the coming storm.
With this in mind, let me suggest to you that finding the center of God will is possible for everyone of us. All we need to do is surrender ourselves to His purpose for these days. The greatest of those purposes are no different than they have always been. God purpose for His kingdom and His people is to restore what He lost in man’s rebellion. We find a description of that at the end of His story; in the Book of the Revelation.
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. Revelation 21:3
At the end of the story (the part that we have been given), God will get back three things that He lost in the beginning:
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“He will dwell with them” – It was always God’s intention to inhabit His people. Jesus spoke of its beginning, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.” (John 14:23) This is the spiritual reality of that which will be physically manifested in the New Jerusalem.
God will restore the habitation He intended to have with His people.
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“They shall be His people” – We can only imagine the depths of intimacy God had with Adam and Eve in the Garden – and His loss in their rebellion. God sent Jesus to make a way for the restoration of His relationship with us. Jesus prayed the will of the Father back to Him in John 17:
And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. v. 3
… that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us. v. 21
God will fully restore the intimate relationship He intended to have with His children.
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“God Himself will be… their God” – The third thing God lost in the Garden was His reign in the hearts of His people. Before they disobeyed God’s command regarding the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, Adam and Eve determined that they were better suited to make decisions for themselves. They determined to be their own kings. They rebelled against God in a futile attempt to become like Him.
God will fully restore His reign in the hearts of His subjects.
If we will passionately and urgently pursue these purposes, we will find the center of His will for every season of our lives; including the coming season of storm and tribulation. Our preparation must begin here; and it must begin now. Time is running out!!
Humbly yours and forever His,
