His School of Preparation for the Last Hour by David Nelson

Posted: 2008-12-28 16:29:48

His School of Preparation for the Last Hour   by David Nelson    (9-17-08)

It is an interesting and trying journey we have been on from the first day we began to walk with the Lord till now. Each of us who has committed his life to be a follower of Jesus Christ and who has been born again has experienced wonderful times with the Lord but also some degree of suffering along the way. I’m sure I could write a whole book on the subject of the benefits for us of suffering in our Christian walk (with much Scripture to support my ideas). God uses suffering (or troubles) in our lives to mold our characters in His crucible.

The good times and the “bad” times that we have experienced in our walk with the Lord is like a school that has been preparing us for what is now coming upon us in the world. I have 3 primary goals in writing this and these 3 concepts are: (1) Even though our God does not change and is always the same past, present and future we are on a journey of discovery to learn to know who He really is. Our ever expanding comprehension of who He is taking us on a journey of discovery that is very exciting and rewarding but at the same time is very frightening (at times), with unexpected sufferings and troubles as our flesh and our ways must die. We must discover more and more of who He is, His many facets (that are innumerable), His ways, and always it seems our life is changing as we grow in Him. (2) The people that God wants to come into our lives to change us (both Christians and non-Christians) are as diverse as we see the diversity in nature. And that great diversity in people in our lives is meant to teach us more how big He is and that He is greater than we know. As the Body of Christ is diverse with its numerous kinds of people and their spiritual gifts we will receive truths about who the Lord is in His many-faceted diverseness. There is much we can learn from each other. (3) The school we have been in as we have walked with the Lord has included very good experiences with the Lord but also very trying experiences meant to kill the flesh to change us and make our old ways die. This school has been preparing us for the last hour that is coming on the earth and for an eternity with the Lord in heaven. God is leading us on a path to know Him better, to die to self, and to discover through joys and sufferings who He is and who we are to be. We must learn to love not our lives even unto death and follow Him to heaven. Of course, He is our Shepherd and He will lead us and strengthen us for this journey from beginning to end.

We cannot grasp completely who our God is. We are learning more and growing in Him. From what we knew at the beginning of our walk with Him some things have not changed but other things about God have deepened and expanded. The death of old, worn out, no longer needed ideas has at times been a painful process because at times the Lord has had to cut out of our lives things that we loved or felt comfortable with to show us what was better. We are always stepping into new territory with the Lord that requires His stripping and changing of us. As we are coming into a darker time upon the earth we will need all that He has been training us in for the times ahead.

Our relationship with the Lord is now richer, sweeter and deeper than it once was. We see things about Him we never knew before. He also wants to show us that we need other people to show us His diverseness, depth, and richness. God has formed the Body so that we can receive from others to show us who He is better than if we stayed by ourselves alone. Just like there are many types of birds or flowers (birds songs, colors and shapes, and flowers colors, shapes and fragrances) God’s people will show forth the many aspects of His character and ways.

Just as it is in the natural realm, with natural man, men and armies are prepared for war and combat by the basic training period they must go through. So too, God from day one with us has been preparing us for a greater war ahead with the enemy of our souls, for a great revival He has planned for us and for eternity in heaven. The joys and sufferings we have experienced in past years have all had a purpose, to make us ready for the last days ahead. We are also being prepared for a glorious revival and a restoration of all the Lord has planned for us. We are being prepared for harder and more trying times ahead that may require more suffering, but He will make us ready. (Please be assured all that we have experienced up to this point has been by God’s plan and design and His love for us, and nothing will happen in the future without being under His watchful eyes and perfect plan and love for each of us). Yes, there may be very trying economic, physical and spiritual stretching times ahead. We live in very dark times and it is getting darker. But the glory of the Lord will rise upon us during these times. And as the day of the Lord draws near and the storm clouds gather in these darker times we are to gather together more (do not neglect to gather together and even more as the day draws near). We will need each other. We will need all the training we have been receiving in these past years. The training has been rich in revelations and truths, wonderful experiences with the Lord and with each other. The suffering we have gone through has pulled us through to His higher ways and a closer walk with Him.

He loves us. All has been for our good and His glory. We will make it. He will be sure of that. We may think, will I finish the race, fight till the end, finish my course? But He is the author and finisher of us, and He will keep us from falling, we must look to Him, we must look up. Bless you brothers and sisters! I too am in His school with you. He is building His Church to stand cleansed of spots or wrinkles. We may be weak but He is strong. All glory be to Him forever. He is our righteousness and our strength!