A House Desolate

The other day we were driving around our city and saw the church building we had spent 13 years in and around as members, elders, and leaders in the assembly that met there.  Over the years we had spent many, many hours painting, cleaning, remodeling, furnishing, and building on the structure that was called a "church".

We had read in the news in Jan. 2009 of a fire that had destroyed the buildings interior, (this was 4.5 years after we left), and wondered how the rebuilding was going.  To our surprise, a safety fence surrounded the weed overgrown property and there was no sign of reconstruction.  As we gazed at the place and pondered the many memories we had there, the words "desolate house" came to me, and I wondered, "is there a parable here"?

For several days the phrase "desolate house" echoed and re-echoed in my mind, so I was impressed to consider what the Lord had pronounced on the church of His day (Israel). 
 Matthew 23:38 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.

If you are not familiar with the history, Jesus had already acted out a parable by cursing a fig tree which became desolate, dead, and because it bore no fruit.  The fig tree represented the nation Israel from which God looked for fruit, but the leadership had usurped authority and put the people in bondage as they protected their personal kingdoms. 

All this took place "in the last days" of natural Israel.
Now, we are in the "last days" of Spiritual Israel (the NT church).

-the time the prophets and the early church writers prophesied of is here folks.
For those who have eyes to see, the plagues and judgements of God are evident in the economy, the weather, the governments, the nations, the fires, the earthquakes, the lawlessness, the violence, the wars and rumors of wars, knowledge increased, the economy in a downward spiral.. more than ever before.  The corruption in both the political AND Christian leadership today is stunning. (-Just google "pastor arrested")

All of these SHOULD be a wakeup call to every Christian.
But to our stunned amazement, the pagan holidays, the entertainment-driven packaged "services", the scriptural ignorance of the average "Christian", the corruption in leadership both financial and personal, the glorified giants of Christianity, the buying and selling of the gospel and related materials (gospel-stuff), the self-promoting, ego-pleasing desire for recognition and popularity by the clergy, the 501c3 non-profit marriage between government and the church,
the lack of HOLINESS in the average church where covetousness and material gain are encouraged,
the politics, prosperity, and political involvement of church leaders,
teachings such as tithing for the personal gain of the leaders, and more.

 I could go on, but this is our view of what we left behind. (Sure, there were some "good" works too -see Rev 2,3 how the Lord recognized some good things in them but He rebuked the majority telling them in very strong terms to repent)

But we did not know much about a our walk with God untill we walked out of the church world.
The Bible says "the thing that has been done is the thing that shall be done, there is no new thing under the sun".
It has all happened before.
 

• Israel coming out of Egypt and apostasizing (except a remnant) in the wilderness as many followed corrupt leadership (Korah).
  
• Israel inheritng the promised land, became blessed, and fell into apostasy under corrupt leaders.
  
• Israel returning from the Babylonian captivity, prospering, and then going into apostasy under corrupt leqders.

Along the way, God was sending a host of prophets with basically the same message: REPENT! 
Major prophets, minor prophets, despised and rejected prophets, hated and margainalized prophets, strange acting and strange speaking prophets, all with a similar word of warning that judgement was on the way, get off your comfortable pew and get on your face seeking the Lord.

Here's a friendly reminder to the folks in the pew from Malachi:
1 And now, O ye priests, this commandment is for you.
2 If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto my name, saith Jehovah of hosts, then will I send the curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings; yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do not lay it to heart.

-Have you noticed the sickness, death, loss, (fire?) around the typical church lately? -those are actions of the "curse" God said He would send in an attempt to correct and chastise HIS people.  The average church today substitutes a plate full of traditions for God's Word.  -"Oh really?" a sceptic asks.  yes, really, really. see our "NOT in scripture list"

It was in this same spiritual atmosphere that God sent John the Baptist in Matthew 3:2 And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. 
Who was he sent to?

It was the apostate, carnal living, religious, synagogue-going people of God circa 30 a.d. The Covenant people of Israel (not the pagans), the "LOST SHEEP of the house of Israel", with all their traditions, religiosity, and corrupt leadership exercising carnal authority over the people.  
It is worthy of note that John did not attend synagogue service, at least there is no mention in scripture.

Now the history of God's people has cycled around again, repeating  and compounding the errors of Israel past. What may we learn from history and what may we say with certainty is that THESE are the last days of Spiritual Israel (the church) and John the Baptist is calling. 

In a few months, a few years?, (time is short), Jesus will begin to come forth again IN His people as he did the first time, with the same power and demonstration of the Spirit and the same separating judgements. The exodus out of mainstream churchianity is already a steady stream flowing into the wilderness.

Isaiah 35:1 The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. 

As the separating takes place, the time comes when the Lord will again pronounce desolation upon the apostate harlot church that sold itself for pleasure, comfort, and the false assurances from apostate leaders. God put "Come forth, my people, out of her, that ye have no fellowship with her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues: vs.5 for her sins have reached even unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.

For several years we have been given dreams from many people for help in understanding.  Without question, the majority of them had to do with God showing the apostate spiritual condition of the organized churches around us.  However, in the last few months we have been seeing a growing number of dreams sent by God, showing various plagues and judgements.

These are all merciful and gracious warnings for His People to prepare His Way in their personal walk with God. START TODAY!

The spiritually dead, dry, powerless bodies called churches, are "dead" bodies. No power, no faith in the promises of healing and deliverance from sin, no real holiness, no spiritual gifts, the only thing left is a form of Godliness but the power is denied and excuses made for the lack thereof.  They are the white-washed tombs of our day.
These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name (Christian) that thou livest, and art dead.

Job 15:34 For the congregation of hypocrites shall be desolate, and fire shall consume the tabernacles of bribery.

2 Corinthians 6:17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you

Hell hath enlarged herself, fear God, not the pastor, it is time to come out.

 Desolate
"eremos", Strongs 2048:
solitary, lonely, desolate, uninhabited
used of places
a desert, wilderness
deserted places, lonely regions
an uncultivated region fit for pasturage