A Time to Heal; a Time to Build

There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,

~Ecclesiastes 3:1-3~

In the Christian life, we know that we are never promised an easy path. Our time on this earth is analogous to a fight in many scriptures: II Timothy 2:7, Ephesians 6:11-13, Psalm 140:7. But are there times when we are given a reprieve? Are their times of peace and enjoyment for God’s people? Certainly, we must never give up the great commission, that is the duty of all Christians. But, are there times that we can heal from the battles we have engaged in? We will never cease to pray, but are we also given a time to rest and heal?

America just went through a divisive election, but remember, our country has devolved into decadence and lawlessness.We deserve to be bruised, we deserve to have our evil

underbelly exposed. We cannot pretend that we are pure or undeserving of God’s judgement. We deserve it! Also, we cannot heal if we don’t root out the evil and get to the heart of all of our own need for repentance and serious soul-searching. God also despises those who have pride and despise our brethren rather than pull them up. The first step to all of this healing is prayer. And many people invested a lot of prayer time and seeking God in this election.

And so, we have Donald Trump as our president, someone who has been a carnal man and a man of this world (like America also is), but someone who has seemed to have God helping him. Many Christians perceived Hillary Clinton to be an extremely evil woman, who has covered her sin and silenced dozens of witnesses along the way. We were spared having this woman reign over us, and from a very unlikely source. But remember, God has used “carnal” prophets along the way, including Samson, Jehu, and David. God can do more with a carnal prophet than a wicked person that wants to hurt God and his creation.

Yes, America, we are recipients of GRACE. We don’t deserve a reprieve from God’s judgment, but it appears we may have gotten one, because of God’s goodness and the Christians who humbly sought God’s mercy.

God’s Message to America?

“A time to tear and a time to mend. A time to be quiet and a time to speak.” – Ecclesiastes 3:7.

“And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.”-Luke 17:26

America has work to do. We might have a reprieve from our anguish over being beat down by those who hate Christianity but we are still called to fulfill the great commission. In the scheme of things this world and America are probably in the final days before Christ’s return. But does this mean that America cannot have a reprise of greatness?

Noah was a great builder of an amazing ark that met God’s specifications. But that was certainly not all that he was doing.

Arguably, Noah helped to save himself and the seven others in his family, not only by obeying God and building the ark, but even more so by preaching and modeling righteousness.

“And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;” –2 Peter 2:5

The world of Noah was so evil and the world and minds polluted so much from sin, that only eight persons were able to be saved to continue civilization. Although sin will continue to take over everywhere it can, we should expect God’s end time harvest is going to be much bigger. It is Christian’s job to “build the ark” which isn’t going to be an ark, but instead will be an end time church.

What are we doing for God and His Kingdom? When we live in world like the days of Noah, we need to be like Noah. We need to preach righteousness, and we need to build.

God’s message to America?

The follow-up interview to firefighter Mark Taylor’s prophecy about Donald Trump.

 

The Evil Shepherds and the Good Shepherd – Ezekiel 34

Prophecy against Israel’s Shepherds

1And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

2Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks?

3Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed: but ye feed not the flock.

4The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them.

5And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd: and they became meat to all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered.

6My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill: yea, my flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, and none did search or seek after them.

 7Therefore, ye shepherds, hear the word of the LORD;

8As I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely because my flock became a prey, and my flock became meat to every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, neither did my shepherds search for my flock, but the shepherds fed themselves, and fed not my flock;

9Therefore, O ye shepherds, hear the word of the LORD;

10Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require my flock at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the flock; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more; for I will deliver my flock from their mouth, that they may not be meat for them.

The Good Shepherd

11For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out.

12As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.

13And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country.

14I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel.

15I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord GOD.

16I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgment.

 17And as for you, O my flock, thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I judge between cattle and cattle, between the rams and the he goats.

18Seemeth it a small thing unto you to have eaten up the good pasture, but ye must tread down with your feet the residue of your pastures? and to have drunk of the deep waters, but ye must foul the residue with your feet?

19And as for my flock, they eat that which ye have trodden with your feet; and they drink that which ye have fouled with your feet.

 20Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD unto them; Behold, I, even I, will judge between the fat cattle and between the lean cattle.

21Because ye have thrust with side and with shoulder, and pushed all the diseased with your horns, till ye have scattered them abroad;

22Therefore will I save my flock, and they shall no more be a prey; and I will judge between cattle and cattle.

23And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd.

24And I the LORD will be their God, and my servant David a prince among them; I the LORD have spoken it.

The Covenant of Peace

25And I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land: and they shall dwell safely in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods.

26And I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing.

27And the tree of the field shall yield her fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase, and they shall be safe in their land, and shall know that I am the LORD, when I have broken the bands of their yoke, and delivered them out of the hand of those that served themselves of them.

28And they shall no more be a prey to the heathen, neither shall the beast of the land devour them; but they shall dwell safely, and none shall make them afraid.

29And I will raise up for them a plant of renown, and they shall be no more consumed with hunger in the land, neither bear the shame of the heathen any more.

30Thus shall they know that I the LORD their God am with them, and that they, even the house of Israel, are my people, saith the Lord GOD.

31And ye my flock, the flock of my pasture, are men, and I am your God, saith the Lord GOD.

–Ezekiel 34–