THE STORMY FUTURE, AND THE DOCTRINES NECESSARY FOR PREPARATION

'The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present'
-Abraham Lincoln

There is coming a time when the doctrines of the past, the doctrines that rightly have been loved and preached so much by the present Church; of grace, gracious salvation, provision, sovereign care, spiritual gifts, promises, God's guidance etc- will all need to be given those doctrines that provide proper context and great encouragement by those same ministers of His Word that was always intended to be given; of crosses to bear, sorrow, loss, perplexity, weakness, a daily dying to self, God's judgment, wrath, justice, vengeance, prophecy, self-sacrifice, service and many more. 

While the first set of doctrines that were mentioned above were all good, blessed and obviously necessary and beneficial, most only benefit in a day of peaceful seas, and blessed times. It is easy to believe and uphold those doctrines and count men blessed and honoured that do so when their worth is obviously apparent. It is easy to see their worth in a good day and a good season, for no one will deny their truth, and no one will question their validity. Similarly then, in apparent and obvious times of goodness and blessing, few will tout the necessity and blessing of the second set of doctrines mentioned, for few will see their worth. Why, in a day of blessing and relative ease, would one need a doctrine of 'dying to self'? Why, in a day where the sun shines, and many go about happy and healthy, and much of the Church says it has 'need of nothing,' would we need to hear about crosses to bear? (although we should always need it). Why hear about loss when we are forced to lose nothing? Why about God's judgment when it appears He does not judge His people and will forever excuse the wicked? Why prophecy when we don't believe there will be another day or season and that nothing will change? The flaw in the logic of this reasoning should be obvious to us all. 

If Noah had never believed that God judged sin, where would he and his family ended up? He would never have believed the warning, never been moved to any action in a time when the world was so at peace and so prosperous. He would've given up building when the mockers came, and quit when the work became too tiresome. To learn about the harder doctrines is, lets be honest- hard for our flesh, and often just hard in general. Human beings don't naturally respond to those things which are against our old nature, but when we truly see the benefit of them, we'll pick up the tools truth, and never quit till we're satisfied we've obeyed God as we should. Noah believed the prophecy he was given, he believed the warning, he believed in the judgement and wrath of God, and even accepted the great pain and suffering to come, and what did he do? He accepted it all, as from a just, loving and faithful creator. Because he did, he saved, not only himself, but his family, and an entire world of humanity and history to come! Never underestimate the importance of those doctrines that the Church nowadays seems to so easily, ignorantly, carelessly, willingly and seemingly even without conviction glide over, ignore and even often cover up for their own benefit. Those things we seemingly seem to so often think are of no consequence now, will be absolutely and totally indispensable in the day and season to come.  

There is coming a day when, if we do not know these doctrines well, and do not know this side of our Lord, that His people will become greatly offended at Him, and if it were possible (and from the Word it seems as though it certainly is), many will even reject faith in Christ and even become His enemy. 

The Lord has showed me dreams of this coming storm. He has shown me a great storm on the horizon and dark clouds gathering overhead. Does anyone out there seek the Lord about these things? Does anyone believe that this is the case? I certainly hope so, for forewarned is forearmed, and the Lord's intention with such prophecy is to encourage our hearts to walk with Him now, so that we'll be prepared to walk with Him in that future day. 

It is not good enough to leave learning about those second set of doctrines for the day and season to come. By then it could well be too late. Such things take time to learn, to understand and to work through. The armour of God is many things, not just one thing, and so the truth is not just a few scriptures here and there, and a few doctrines here and there, but the Apostle Paul called it the 'whole counsel of God.' God has a counsel for us to sit at today, in preparation, yes for today, but also for tomorrow. God has a teacher for us to listen to, and His name is Christ, so will we be willing to hear His voice and understand ALL that He says and reveals to us? God's intention is to benefit, direct, equip us, strengthen, change and enlighten us. Do we fail to recognise and often co-operate with His will in this way? Yes we certainly do! We are weak and often dull sheep, often going astray. No one is perfect here, myself first and foremost, but His righteousness freely qualifies and forgives us, despite us being the sinners we are, and He continues to give us mercy, grace and power.

God bless!