Why many Christians are Unprepared for the Coming Storm...

Chapter Seventy-four:

Given the time of year it is, here in the United States, we are in what we refer to as storm season. This is the time of year that deadly tornadoes can quickly develop with little notice, heavy rains can bring flooding, and strong winds can cause a lot of damage. For some time now, I have been sensing in my spirit that for believers, followers of Christ, that we need to be seriously preparing for a coming season of storms, but sadly many of us are not.  As I prayed about it, I came up with two reasons as to why many will find themselves in the predicament of being unprepared. 

First, I would have us look at the current state of the mainline churches. Of course, the finger is very easily pointed at the Church. But in this instance, it is a very valid criticism. Most of today's churches are caught up more in the social issues of the day, trying to determine how they can grow their congregation and how the newer building can be attained. In order to not offend, the Gospel message has been watered down so much that it is no longer served as a meal full of the truth that saves and restores the hearer, but is rather a soupy serving of what the people feel more comfortable swallowing. 

Those who sit in the pews are no longer being taught how to be strong, but how to get along. We do not want to be seen as being intolerant and unloving, so the Gospel message of repentance and needing a Savior is hardly heard any more.  In fact, some pastors are teaching that a God who would require a Savior to be sacrificed is a heartless, ruthless God that they would not want to follow!  With this in mind, the mood has to always be upbeat, the music has to be appealing enough to get one's emotions stirred up. The goal is for all to feel good about their walk with God, but not to bring up any discussions about anything that may make us do serious self examination about how we are living, or how we are allowing sin and our flesh to keep us as babes who still need milk, who cannot tolerate even the sight of meaty truth. 

There is no longer the focus on preparing for the second coming of Christ (Revelation 1:7).  It, too, has been modified to suit the needs of many pastors and preachers, and is often dismissed as pessimistic ramblings of a small group of people who really do not understand that God is a God of love, who loves all and will accept all. What is not surprising, therefore, is that those same attendees are not being prepared for how to live when times change. We can ignore Scripture and downplay or reinterpret what it says, but that will not change what will happen, what must happen, according to God's Holy Word. 

How will believers, who are being taught to expect only the best from God, that they will have no difficulties in life, and who have feel-good sermons and worship services on a weekly basis,  be able to handle the persecution that is soon to come? How will they be able to discern  good from evil when Scripture tells us that it is only the spiritually mature that will be able to do such a thing?  Hebrews 5:14 reads, "But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil."  How are these babes in Christ (if they are truly born-again believers) going to handle things when all they can handle now is milk and not the solid meat of the Word? 

But all blame cannot be placed at the feet of the Church.  Believers, themselves, have become lazy, enjoying these watered down, feel-good church services.  Why do they not demand more from their leaders? Why do they not question their leaders when they speak things that go against the very truths found in God's Word? Why do they not leave their church if they feel it is not meeting their need for growth and spiritual maturity, or has replaced the Word of God with man's opinion or man's philosophy? It is simply the nature of fallen man, to want to have the pretense of religion in their lives but not be willing to make the sacrifices for which it calls. Death to self, that is what being a true follower and believer requires, and for those who still want to remain independent, they do not want to face the truth that following Christ does have a cost, as they would rather be blessed than have to sacrifice anything.  

Sadly, many have little desire to learn about what they consider tedious Scriptural teachings such as the need to become spiritually mature and holy, how to pray and intercede, the need and benefits of fasting, and more importantly the lessons regarding spiritual warfare. They see no need to learn  how to defend themselves from the attacks of the enemy by growing closer to their Lord and Savior.  The enemy is gathering his troops, planning his strategy and the first line of attack will be against these very people who were too complacent or did not want to be bothered to learn how to grow strong through prayer and a stronger relationship with their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. 

The prophet Ezekiel was alive during the time the Israelites were taken captive to Babylon, and was taken along with them. The book of Ezekiel is his record of what happened while in Babylon. While he was trying to reassure his fellow captives that they would be restored to their own land after the time of God's chastening, there were many  influential false prophets who, claiming to speak for God, tried to convince the captive Israelites that everything would be okay, that there would be peace regardless of what they were hearing from Ezekiel. They were doing everything they could think of to undermine God's warning that was being brought forth from Ezekiel.

We read in the book of Ezekiel 13:1-5 that the Word of the Lord condemned the false prophets who were saying all the things they knew the people wanted to hear,  that they were not conveying what the Lord really wanted His people to hear and understand. They were claiming that what they were saying were the true words of God, all the while they were blatantly lying to the people in order to keep them deceived. Later on in verse 10 it says, "Because they lead my people astray, saying, 'Peace, when there is no peace' ".

Ezekiel was the sole voice of warning against these lying, deceptive false prophets. Scripture tells us that these false prophets were men who did not pray and seek God, they had absolutely no relationship with Him, but were in it merely for their own gain, and most likely for the enemy's purpose of flattering God's people with vain hopes, rather than calling them to repent for their evil ways in order to be reconciled once again to their true God.

As I read this account, it struck me that this is exactly what is happening today. Those who study prophecy are giving  loud warnings that the false religions, the lukewarm churches are coming together, and rather than preparing us for the coming storm, most churches have lulled everyone into a false sense of security. They are saying peace when there is no peace! The question is this, my friend: Will you shake off this lethargy that has lulled you into a false sense of security, and instead, prepare for the coming storm, or will you be one of the many who will be caught off guard and wonder how on earth it happened?  

Of course, your anger will be against your church leadership who did not warn, who did not prepare you, and to some degree that is valid. But in the end, it is each of us who is responsible for our own spiritual growth and development, and if we are not receiving it where we are, it is our responsibility to seek it elsewhere!  God will not allow those who are earnestly seeking Him and desiring to be prepared for the coming storm to be left alone and  helpless. He will show the way that we should walk, but it has to be with the willingness to do whatever He asks of us, and with the humility that it will require.

If we find ourselves in the position of being spiritually immature and unprepared, we cannot spend time blaming our church, instead we must spend it crying out to God. We must pray that He will show us how to become spiritually mature through the reading of His Word, spending time alone with Him, in addition to our being willing to be changed from the inside out.  Only then will we be ready to face the coming storm.  We each need to ask ourselves, are we prepared as much as we should be for what is coming?