Into Battle
We are living in perilous times. We see the conflagrations around the world. I believe we are living so close to the end that the body of Christ needs to wake up and, as it says in Ezekiel, stop playing in the shallows. As a minister of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ for over 36 years I am beginning to get a witness in my spirit that it is time for the church of Jesus Christ to stand up and start being counted. I believe the church worldwide has settled for a candy-coated gospel. We have used clever programmes, clever schemes and at times worldly methods to reach the lost. My brothers and sisters, these things do not work. They will never work. They result in social clubs. Jesus told us to watch and pray. I believe when the body of Christ stops entertaining the troops we shall see a revival and a restoration like never before. I have read about the Hebridean revival, the 1905 revival and Azusa Street, but I believe there is a revolution about to start that will make these look like Sunday school parties.
Jesus told us through Matthew 24:
“And you will hear of wars and rumours of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake.”
Matthew 24: 6-9
I believe these are the words of Jesus Christ. Am I correct? He also says later in Matthew 24 for us to look at the fig tree:
“Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near—at the doors!”
Matthew 24: 32-33
I also believe God is going to shake the nations. We can see through the Old Testament when the children of Israel were stiff-necked and rebellious against God He allowed them to be taken into captivity: Egypt, Babylon and Rome.
So, my brothers, sisters and fellow-ministers, if we do not get out from behind our walls and get into the battle, as we are in a war, we battle not against flesh and blood but against powers, principalities and rulers of wickedness in high places, we shall lose more and more ground to the enemy. As great men and women from the past know, we need to get on our knees, humble ourselves before God and fight the battle in prayer, and then when this is done, go and take the land. As Pastor Bonnke from Christ for All Nations always said, we should plunder hell and populate heaven.
I do not care what denomination you are from, you who are reading this, it is the same for us all.
Most churches I go into seem more like hospitals than army camps, or sadly they are so worldly they become entertainment centres, which saddens my heart. I have visited churches over the past five years. I have been in church meetings and there has been no welcome to me as a stranger. I have left these meetings wondering why I ever came. Many churches in the United Kingdom lack communitas. If you check on the word communitas, you will see it is the kind of community that Christians experience when they are on mission together (see this video). The problem is, you need to be on mission to experience this. It does not mean you have to go to Africa, India or far across the world. There has to be a mission heart in your local church or fellowship. We were never told in the scriptures to stay. We were always told to go (Matthew 28). What we seem to do in the west is have a party and invite people to the party. My observation of the New Testament is they went out. They did not employ professionals to do it. They all did it. I know some of the clergy will not agree with this but my understanding of that is they like to keep their jobs and sadly sometimes power.
So I would like you to reflect on this wherever you are in the world.
Titus 1: 10-16
For there are many insubordinate, both idle talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole households, teaching things which they ought not, for the sake of dishonest gain. One of them, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, not giving heed to Jewish fables and commandments of men who turn from the truth.
To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled. They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work.
Rev Ross Rennie
Come Lord Jesus and pour out Your Spirit and shake the earth.
For surely this is what is needed for people to get back to You-
to know You and magnify Your glorious Name. Amen