PRÉCIS ON A PASTOR’S MOST IMPORTANT PRAYER FOR THE LAST DAYS

SCRIPTURE. “Open my eyes [to spiritual truth] so that I may behold wonderful things from Your Law.” – PSALM 119:18, AMP

KEY TERM: “OPEN MY EYES!” ‘Galah’ [גֶּלֶה]: “From a primitive root meaning, ‘To strip away, denude, reveal;’ to advertise, tell or publish [widely]; to bring into captivity; to disclose, discover; to uncover the eyes or the ears to expose a secret [that which has been hidden from view]; to lay completely bare [the facts of some matter, either good or evil].”

QUOTATION. “As usual, there was a ‘Story behind the story,’ and that is where the Truth was hidden.” ― KENNETH EADE, Beyond All Recognition, 2016; edited

COMMENTARY. “‘Open Thou mine eyes.’ – Enlighten my mind by the light of Thy Holy Spirit and dispel all ignorance and error. ‘Wondrous things out of Thy Law.’ – Those great and marvellous depths of Divine Wisdom and Goodness, and those profound Mysteries of Christ and of God’s grace to Mankind, and of that future and everlasting State, which are contained in God’s Law, and which were ‘not to be known but by Divine Illumination’ (Matthew 16:17; 1 Corinthians 2:11, 14; 2 Corinthians 3:14, 4:4, 6; Eph 1:17).” – MATTHEW POOLE, English Annotations on the Holy Bible, 1685; edited

DK. This tiny little sentence, at first appearance insignificant in the grand theological scheme of things, jumped out at me the early morning of April 21, 2024. My immediate sense was this:

As I have written at length, we are now engaged in the most Deceptive Era in the entire history of Mankind, with the prophesied ‘Spirit of Delusion’ proliferating all around us like a grotesque, metastatic cancer (2 Thessalonians 2:11). And worst of all, it has invaded the heretofore sacred sanctuaries of the American Church.  Further, if this is indeed the ‘Age of Antichrist’ who is already on scene, then wouldn’t it make sense to ever pastor, teacher, evangelist, elder and Christian leader to beg for such Eyes Wide Open Enlightenment?

Alas, such is not the case among most Church Leaders it would undeniably seem. The vast majority of us and our pastors are enamored with ‘The Way Things Are,’ and seem astonishingly disinterested in the Harder Truths that surround and define the Present Historical Moment.

LAODICEA. It is my strong opinion that Today’s Church is steeped in its own sense of “Success” – Big numbers, big budgets, big buildings, big staff, and lots of fame and notoriety – with members likewise ‘taken’ (and that’s the right word!) by such trappings of Church Power. .

Well, here’s what The Messiah has to say about all that, beloved, and it ain’t any prettier than the ugliness of such a despicable Church condition.

“I know your deeds, that you are neither cold (invigorating, refreshing) nor hot (healing, therapeutic); I wish that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm (spiritually useless), and neither hot nor cold, I will vomit you out of My mouth [rejecting you with disgust].  Because you say, ‘I am rich, and have prospered and grown wealthy, and have need of nothing,’ and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked [without hope and in great need], I counsel you to buy from Me gold that has been heated red hot and refined by fire so that you may become truly rich; and white clothes [representing righteousness] to clothe yourself so that the shame of your nakedness will not be seen; and healing salve to put on your eyes so that you may see.

Those whom I [dearly and tenderly] love, I rebuke and discipline [showing them their faults and instructing them]; ‘so be enthusiastic and repent’ [change your inner self—your old way of thinking, your sinful behavior—seek God’s will].” – REVELATION 3:15-19, AMP

CODA. This then, is the Lion of the Last Days toward His own, and not the frilly little jesus we hear so much about from our lukewarm pulpits. ‘That is not Him!’ This is the One who truly loves us enough to severely rebuke us, even to warn of ‘our vomitous state,’ beloved. So, I continue to wonder:

Will the American Church and her Leaders wake up in time before God’s Wrath spills down upon us all in the perilous days ahead? I cannot hold my breath much longer.