I have been praying all week about when I should write my ‘back home’ update and more importantly, what the content should be. So many have asked what the purpose was of my trip, what God did there and why He kept me so long. I will only be able to answer in part. To a certain extent because I only know in part and to another, because there is so much that I, as Mary did, am keeping close to my heart. However, as I sat with Jesus this evening and asked Him His heart, He told me that it was time to write.

We need to be prepared.

So often we hear that, are told it, remember it and yet it has not sunk in. Jesus is not coming in thousands of years time, He is coming far sooner than we realize and that means that the rest of what was prophesied is coming far sooner than we realize. No I haven’t gone to IHOP and become an end times fanatic, but what I have realized, one of the major things that God did, was open my spiritual eyes and undeafen my spiritual (as well as natural ears) to the world today, to the signs of the times, to the fact we are living in the ‘birth pains’ of the end times. To the priority that Jesus placed upon being ready, upon seeing the signs of the times, upon NOT BURYING OUR HEADS IN THE SAND BECAUSE IGNORANCE MEANS LESS RESPONSIBILITY. We have chosen to blind ourselves and live in our created bubbles because then we do not have to face that which challenges every arena of our Christian faith. But that cuts swathes out of the bible, do you realize? We must, as a corporate body, be living as the early church did, ready and expectant for Christ’s return SOON and therefore the events that come with that. Why? Because Jesus said to. And because if we cannot instantly see the signs of the times, if we do not know what to expect, if we are not grounded in an intimacy with God far deeper than we have ever known or hungered for, we will be swept away.

I was reading that ‘rapture’ passage the other day about two being in the field and one being taken away etc. As I read it I saw a totally different context. I do not believe Jesus was talking about the rapture at all, the context and mood with which He said the statement was one of something with the surprise and force of a tsunami hitting, almost a picture like in Lord of the Rings II when the trees are fighting in the battle and the waters are released. They were able to cling onto the ground and stand as everything else was swept away. In the same way, when the time of tribulation arrives, when persecution comes, when the INEVITABLE happens in lieu of Jesus’ return (hallelujah!), if we are not ROOTED in our God, forsaking all else, not offended with His choice of action of judgment but understanding our identity in Him and His sovereignty and at the same time reside in a place of immense intimacy with Him that is totally separate from the world, ‘fixing our eyes on things above’ then we will be swept away like one in a field when something like a tsunami hits. One will stand and the other will disappear in an instant. If we are NOT READY and do NOT KNOW the sings of the times, we will not stand before we even have realized why.

Notice the storm clouds on the horizon and smell the rain. To fear? No. To get right with God, to get with God, to call out to Him for the promised great harvest, to get new perspective, to embrace the coming days when He will be glorified on the earth and EVERY knee will bow.

Jesus says that just like in the Days of Noah, just because we have not seen something, doesn’t mean it does not exist or is not coming. The people had not seen rain, the ark seemed such a fruitless effort which they scoffed and mocked as they got on with ‘normal life’. Just as in the days of Noah, if we do not understand the ark blueprint we have been given, the ten virgins, the beatitudes, intimacy, oil of His presence, seeking His face, forsaking all else, RADICAL COMMITTED lives with NO COMPROMISE, when the rain starts to fall….it will be too late.

Do you get yet why Jesus was so adamant, why He gave so many parables? Look at the ten virgins. ALL of them knew the bridegroom, ALL of them followed Him in waiting for their marriage, what happened? Five of them did not have extra OIL for their lamps. Oil speaks of intimacy, it speaks of the overflow of Holy Spirit in our lives that is cultivated and gotten from the secret place, from spending our time with Jesus, understanding truly what it means to be in this world but not of it. They went back to get this oil when they realized but by then the ‘rain was falling’ so to speak, when they returned….it was too late.

What was Jesus saying? The time is SOON we have GOT to live as though it is imminent. We have to get right, we have to allow God to restore a holy fear of God within us, to cut out compromise, to live radically, to allow Him to change us, renew us and kill us for His purposes. We must understand who He is and the ties ahead that we will not be offended by Him because we will remain consumed with such a deep love for Him. He loves us with an unending love, He desires such intimacy as we do not even have hunger for yet. Will we pursue Him?

I asked Him the value of studying end times, I was always so anti it, thought it was just fear-mongering until I understood what it was, it is a context, it is a CONTEXT of our worship, our prayers, our hunger, our ministries. When we realize His return is imminent, when we understand the gravity of the tribulation, when we start to comprehend that this life is NOT all there is and that very soon the earth will end, our desperation for intimacy deepens, our perception of eternity changes, our longing for His face and Will increases and we begin to walk with our eyes fixed upon Him and not upon here except to plead with Him to give us His heart for the lost that we might cry out to Him for mercy and go to them with burning hearts to see them saved before it is too late.

We have become apathetic beloved. We have become complacent and apathetic.

Why did He make me deaf for two weeks? Why was I stranded in a difficult situation? Why was I ill and so many things came up in such a short time? Why was I at IHOP? What did God do or teach me or say? He broke me. He opened my eyes to so much, He taught me that I cannot fix anything. He re-taught me His sovereignty and renewed my fear of Him. He pulled my perspective once again more in line with His rather than leave it where I was comfortable, ignoring great swathes of the bible. He brought people into my life who are going to have eternal impact, He worked through heart stuff, but most of all, He taught me more about the tender and delicate fragrance of intimacy, 24/7 prayer and worship cultivated intimacy. If we will humble ourselves and pray, and turn from our wicked ways, He will heal our land. How willing are we to humble ourselves and turn from our wicked ways and spend time at the feet of our beloved Jesus? How eager are we to get on our faces and see that which we say we pray for?

What do you want beloved of God? What do you really really want?



What are you willing to pay for it?