The judgments of God

People ask me some times, "Hey, what do you hear from God now?"  This is what I see:

I have a strong sense of the Lord standing before His Church with a winnowing fork in His hand.  He is sober and full of compassion.  Do you know what a winnowing fork does?  It separates the chaff from the seed of the last harvest.  The farmer needs to sow seed, otherwise he would be making effort to sow that which is fruitless.  A winnowing fork also is used to separate pests from stored grain.  The Lord is intensively cleansing this seed and rid it of the things that have been adversely reducing its volume... in a sense He is going to rescue the seed that has been in danger of being taken out.

Beloved of the Lord, this winnowing will be painful as it continues.  A question to the American church in this hour, as an example, is how we would respond if God were to uproot an economic system that has been funding abortion in an open and generous way.  If it meant you were to lose your house and 401K (or 101K, whatever the case might be since summer) in order to reduce the system and begin to dismantle it, would you think that was a righteous thing for God to do?  If it came down to God saying: since the system in place affects your employability, or the existance of your bank, or the existance of GiantCorpX... could you bow in your heart and say, "God, judge us.  That we might be righteous and learn to love what You love."?

You might read this as coming from the cranky, bitter mind of someone deprived by "religion".  I'm offering my thoughts in this little space on the internet and would submit it to you for you to ask God yourself, as best as you understand Him and would be willing to hear from Him however He chose to respond.  I bear witness of a beatific vision: Christ coming soon.  He has "come" by His Spirit in movings and seasons of refreshing as men have repented and turned to Him.  Soon, for real, He will come the same way that He ascended: through the clouds and with all the saints in His procession.  Every eye will see Him.  Even those who hate Him (!!!) will shout of His Lordship.  It will be a great and a terrible day.

So now, a winnowing fork is in His hand.  To help us choose, to trouble that which must be troubled and see what we have built our lives upon.  Ponder this from Isaiah chapter 26:

1 In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah:
       We have a strong city;
       God makes salvation
       its walls and ramparts.
 2 Open the gates
       that the righteous nation may enter,
       the nation that keeps faith.

 3 You will keep in perfect peace
       him whose mind is steadfast,
       because he trusts in you.

 4 Trust in the LORD forever,
       for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal.

 5 He humbles those who dwell on high,
       he lays the lofty city low;
       he levels it to the ground
       and casts it down to the dust.

 6 Feet trample it down—
       the feet of the oppressed,
       the footsteps of the poor.

 7 The path of the righteous is level;
       O upright One, you make the way of the righteous smooth.

 8 Yes, LORD, walking in the way of your laws,
       we wait for you;
       your name and renown
       are the desire of our hearts.

 9 My soul yearns for you in the night;
       in the morning my spirit longs for you.
       When your judgments come upon the earth,
       the people of the world learn righteousness.

 10 Though grace is shown to the wicked,
       they do not learn righteousness;
       even in a land of uprightness they go on doing evil
       and regard not the majesty of the LORD.

 11 O LORD, your hand is lifted high,
       but they do not see it.
       Let them see your zeal for your people and be put to shame;
       let the fire reserved for your enemies consume them.

 12 LORD, you establish peace for us;
       all that we have accomplished you have done for us.

 13 O LORD, our God, other lords besides you have ruled over us,
       but your name alone do we honor.

VOM Prayer Update for December 9, 2008

CHINA – House Church Leaders Released from Prison - China Aid Association

On Nov. 25, 2008, Pastor Wang Weiliang was released from prison on “medical” parole. Praise God, Pastor Wang is now receiving care in a local hospital in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, according to China Aid Association (CAA). In December of 2006, Pastor Wang was sentenced to three years in for trying to prevent the destruction of Dangshanwan Christian Church in Zhejiang province. Meanwhile, on Tuesday, Chinese officials also released house church leader Zhu Baoguo from a Chinese labor camp for “medical reasons.”

Pastor Zhu was first arrested in October 2008 during a church service in Dushu village, Henana province with four other church leaders. Pastor Zhu was sentenced to 15 days detention for being an “evil cult leader.” On Oct. 30, two days after being released, Pastor Zhu was promptly re-arrested and given a one year sentence in a “re-education through labor” camp. His detention at the camp ended last week with a medical release. VOM rejoices with the families of these leaders and encourages you to pray for their speedy recovery. Ask God to protect them and other believers living under tough conditions because of their stand for Christ.

Romans 8:11

NIGERIA - Christians Attacked by Muslims in Nigeria – VOM Sources

On Nov. 28, following a local election, anti-Christian violence erupted in the central Nigerian city of Jos. Sixteen church buildings were ravaged by Muslim mobs, thousands of Christians fled from their homes, and sources estimate that hundreds were killed. Although initial reports pointed to the local government elections as the catalyst for the violence, Christian groups in Nigeria maintain that the voting process was peaceful and that the attacks occurred before the results were even announced. Other news reports have also suggested that Christians were responsible for the deaths of 300 Muslims; however, local security sources insist that the Muslims were shot by authorities when they defied the imposed curfew and launched fresh attacks. Some sources suspect that the violence may have been planned in advance since the majority of the 500 arrested Muslims have told police that they arrived in Jos three days prior to the attacks from neighboring Niger or from northern Nigerian states. Some of the arrested were also wearing fake police and military uniforms. Ask God to bring peace to this unstable Nigerian region where Christians are targeted. Pray that any Christians who retaliated violently will repent and seek to walk Christ’s path of discipleship.

Psalm 103:1-5

EGYPT – Christian Brothers Falsely Accused of Murder - Compass Direct News

On Nov. 22, Refaat and Ibrahim Fawzy Abdo, Egyptian brothers falsely accused of murdering a Muslim, were sent to the El Wadi El Gadid Detention Camp in an attempt to coerce them into confessing to the crime, according to Compass Direct News. The brothers were arrested after about 60 armed Muslims stormed the Abu Fana monastery in Mallawi, Upper Egypt on May 31, where the brothers worked as building contractors. In the attack, a Muslim was killed, four Christians injured, and three monks briefly kidnapped. The brothers were subsequently charged with the murder of the Muslim even though they were not in the area where the violence occurred. In the initial days of their detention, they were tortured with electric shocks eight hours a day for three days in an attempt to make them testify that the monks at the monastery were armed. Pray that Refaat and Ibrahim will be released and that the false charges against them will be dropped. Ask God to strengthen and provide for their families.

Psalm 27:1