The Church’s Complicity in Diluting the Word

[RenewedStrength316]

Part 1: The Gospel We No Longer Preach


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> "For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear."
(2 Timothy 4:3)



We’ve watered it down. Stripped it of power. Dressed it in soft language and empty affirmations. We’ve made the Gospel marketable, digestible, and non-offensive.

And now, the church looks more like a spiritually entertained audience than a blood-washed army.

We have replaced:

Repentance with self-help.

Holiness with tolerance.

The fear of the Lord with "positive vibes."

Truth with emotionalism.


We say, "God loves you," and stop there—never mentioning the Cross, the blood, the cost, or the call to die to self. We make converts, not disciples. We build crowds, not altars.

> "Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you, for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets."
(Luke 6:26)



If the world is applauding our message, maybe it’s not the Gospel we’re preaching.


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1. The True Gospel Offends

> "The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing..." (1 Corinthians 1:18)



You cannot preach Christ without preaching His Cross. And you cannot preach the Cross without calling people to die.

The Gospel is a scandal to pride. It offends the flesh. It calls sinners to surrender—not negotiate. Yet we’ve tried to make it palatable. We offer Jesus as an accessory instead of a Master.


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2. Grace Has Been Perverted

> "They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality..." (Jude 1:4)



Cheap grace is the golden calf of the modern church. We have built altars to it. We sing about it. But it is not biblical grace. It does not teach men to say no to ungodliness. It gives them permission to stay in it.

Grace isn’t a permission slip to sin. It’s the power to overcome it.


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3. No Fear, No Fire

> "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom..." (Proverbs 9:10)



Where the fear of the Lord is absent, foolishness thrives. We laugh at sin. We joke about hell. We entertain ourselves with what Christ died to save us from. And then we wonder why we’re powerless.

The early church had fear. It walked in holiness, not hype. It understood that God is not to be trifled with. And because of that, it walked in authority.


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4. Call to Return

> "Return to me, and I will return to you," says the Lord Almighty. (Malachi 3:7)



We don’t need another conference. We need to repent. We don’t need more Christian influencers. We need intercessors. We don’t need motivational speeches. We need biblical preaching.

The true Gospel must return to our pulpits, our homes, and our hearts. Because only the true Gospel saves.

 

[RenewedStrength316]

Part 2: Tolerated Sin – The Church’s Agreement with Darkness


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> “Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.”
— Ephesians 5:11



We no longer expose sin—we entertain it.
We no longer weep over unrighteousness—we wink at it.
The modern church has traded its prophetic voice for cultural acceptance, and in doing so, has become complicit in the very darkness it claims to oppose.

We call it “grace,” but it’s not.
We call it “compassion,” but it’s compromise.
And while we soothe consciences, hell enlarges its mouth.


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1. Sin That No Longer Grieves Us

> “You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too.”
— 1 Corinthians 10:21



We’ve let the world write our moral code:

We celebrate what God calls an abomination.

We excuse what He commands us to crucify.

We normalize what He demands we forsake.


From pulpits to pews, sin is no longer grieved, it’s tolerated. And the Spirit who convicts is grieved in our midst.

> “They have healed the wound of my people lightly, saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace.”
— Jeremiah 6:14



There is no peace where there is no repentance.


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2. Sexual Immorality Has Infiltrated the Sanctuary

> “It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you... and you are proud! Shouldn't you rather have gone into mourning?”
— 1 Corinthians 5:1-2



The church once wept over sexual sin. Now it celebrates sexual identity over biblical identity.

We ordain what God forbids.
We bless what God has cursed.
We host drag shows in sanctuaries built to host revival.

This is not love.
This is not unity.
This is apostasy.

> “Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral... nor adulterers nor men who practice homosexuality... will inherit the kingdom of God.”
— 1 Corinthians 6:9-10



You can’t inherit the Kingdom while defending the very chains that keep people from it.


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3. The Sin of Silence

> “If the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet... his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand.”
— Ezekiel 33:6



We stay silent to protect our platforms.
We remain passive to avoid offending our friends.
We tolerate sin in others because we’re secretly still bound by it ourselves.

But silence in the face of sin is not love—it is betrayal.

Jesus called sin what it was—and then died to destroy it.
How dare we be afraid to name it?


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4. Wake Up, Church

> “Wake up, strengthen what remains and is about to die...”
— Revelation 3:2



The church doesn’t need better lighting or shorter services.
We need the fear of God to return to the house of God.
We need altars soaked in tears again.
We need leaders who tremble before they speak.

Until we stop tolerating sin, we will never walk in power.

 

[RenewedStrength316]

Part 3: When the Prophets Were Silenced – The Cost of Censoring Truth


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> “Your prophets have seen false and deceptive visions; they have not exposed your iniquity to restore your fortunes...”
— Lamentations 2:14



Where are the prophets?

Not the self-appointed influencers with shallow words and slick branding.
Not the fortune-tellers masquerading as spiritual leaders.
But the weeping, burden-bearing voices who cry in the wilderness,
“Prepare the way of the Lord.”

They’ve been silenced—
By pastors who feared offending their givers.
By churches who confused peace with passivity.
By Christians more loyal to comfort than to the Cross.

And what was the cost?

We got fake peace.
We got bloated crowds.
We got a gospel without groaning.
And the fire went out.


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1. The Prophets Made People Uncomfortable

> “They hate him who reproves in the gate, and they abhor him who speaks the truth.”
— Amos 5:10



True prophets were never welcomed.

They were hated in Jeremiah’s day.
Mocked in Elijah’s.
Beheaded in John’s.
Crucified in Jesus’.

Their calling was not to be liked—it was to be faithful.
Their words cut deep. They exposed the cancer.
Because only exposed sin can be crucified.

> “Cry aloud; do not hold back; lift up your voice like a trumpet; declare to my people their transgression...”
— Isaiah 58:1



You can't deliver what you're afraid to declare.


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2. The Church Replaced Prophets with Performers

> “They say to the seers, ‘See no more visions!’ and to the prophets, ‘Give us no more visions of what is right! Tell us pleasant things, prophesy illusions.’”
— Isaiah 30:10



That’s what we wanted:
Pleasant things.
Encouraging messages.
Therapy over theology.

So we turned the sanctuary into a stage.
We traded sackcloth for skinny jeans.
We traded travail for TED Talks.
We removed the groan. We canceled the call.
And the fire grew cold.

> “Woe to you when all men speak well of you…”
— Luke 6:26



If no one’s offended by what you preach, you may not be preaching the Gospel.


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3. The Spirit Speaks Through Fire, Not Flattery

> “Is not my word like fire,” declares the Lord, “and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?”
— Jeremiah 23:29



God doesn’t send prophets to tickle ears—He sends them to turn hearts.

And that only happens when the truth is spoken without compromise.

Flattering words won’t bring revival.
Soothing lies won’t produce repentance.
Only the raw, holy, unfiltered Word of God can pierce the soul and awaken the Bride.


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4. Let the Prophets Speak Again

> “Do not despise prophetic utterances. But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good.”
— 1 Thessalonians 5:20-21



The time of polite Christianity is over.
This is the hour for burning voices.
For trembling messengers.
For prophets who refuse to bow to Baal, no matter the cost.

Church, we don’t need more celebrities.
We need prophets back in the pulpits.
We need tears on the floor and fire in the bones.

Let the prophets speak.
Let the Word thunder again.

 

[RenewedStrength316]

Part 4: Come Out From Among Them – The Call to Be Set Apart


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> “Therefore, ‘Come out from among them and be separate,’ says the Lord. ‘Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.’”
— 2 Corinthians 6:17



This is not a gentle suggestion.
It is a divine command spoken to a people who have forgotten who they are.

We are the blood-bought. The Spirit-filled. The set-apart people of the living God.
Not a subculture of the world.
Not a religious offshoot of secular values.
Not a motivational club with crosses on the walls.

We are called to be holy in a world that is burning.

But we look too much like Egypt.
We sound too much like Babylon.
And we dress the Gospel in worldly makeup to make it more palatable.

> “You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God?”
— James 4:4



You cannot walk in step with the world and claim intimacy with Christ.
You cannot eat from the Lord’s Table and the table of demons.
You cannot carry the cross and cuddle your idols.


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1. Separation Is Not Legalism—It’s Obedience

> “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?”
— 2 Corinthians 6:14



We call it legalism because it’s easier than calling it what it is: conviction.

But separation is not about arrogance. It’s about allegiance.

Allegiance to purity.

Allegiance to the Word.

Allegiance to the Lamb.


The early church didn’t win the world by blending in with it.
They stood out. They bled. They were burned. They were hated.
Because they refused to bow.

> “They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony; they loved not their lives even unto death.”
— Revelation 12:11



God is calling us back to that same courage.
To that same loyalty.


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2. Holiness Is the Language of Heaven

> “But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’”
— 1 Peter 1:15-16



You cannot live unclean and expect to speak heaven’s language.
You cannot feed on filth and walk in power.

God is holy.
His angels cry “Holy.”
His throne is surrounded by holiness.

So why have we made Christianity about being relatable?
God never called us to be relatable. He called us to be righteous.

> “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed... Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.”
— Colossians 3:5-6



That’s New Testament. That’s apostolic. That’s the faith once delivered.

And it hasn’t changed.


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3. We’ve Forgotten We Are Aliens and Strangers Here

> “Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul.”
— 1 Peter 2:11



This world is not our home.
Its values are not our values.
Its entertainment is not our entertainment.
Its sexual ethics are not ours.

We don’t belong to Sodom.
We don’t belong to Egypt.
We don’t belong to Rome.

We belong to Zion.

> “For here we have no continuing city, but we seek the one to come.”
— Hebrews 13:14



So stop living like you belong to the culture.
You belong to the King.


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4. The Narrow Road Still Offends

> “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction... But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”
— Matthew 7:13-14



Only a few.

That word still echoes like thunder.

Only a few will endure persecution.
Only a few will reject compromise.
Only a few will remain faithful when culture calls evil good and good evil.

Only a few will walk the narrow path.

Will you be among them?


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Church, we are not called to conform—we are called to confront.
To confront darkness with light.
To confront sin with truth.
To confront compromise with the burning call of holiness.

> “Come out from among them. Be separate. Touch no unclean thing.”
— 2 Corinthians 6:17



It’s time.
It’s time to repent.
It’s time to stand.
It’s time to remember who we are.

Not victims. Not consumers. Not fans.
We are the remnant.
We are the watchmen.
We are the holy nation.

 

[RenewedStrength316]

Part 5: The Remnant Rises – Preparing the Bride for the Return of the King


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> “Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and His bride has made herself ready.”
— Revelation 19:7



Christ is not returning for a harlot Church.
Not for a divided Church.
Not for a passive, lukewarm Church addicted to culture and allergic to consecration.

He is returning for a Bride—
Washed. Awakened. Ready.
One not ashamed of Him or His Word.

But where is that Bride now?

We’ve entertained ourselves into apathy.
We’ve traded prophetic fire for production value.
We’ve chosen programs over prayer, relevance over righteousness, and numbers over nearness.

And now, the King is at the door, but His people are asleep.


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1. The Call to Wake Up

> “It is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.”
— Romans 13:11



The remnant Church will not sleep through this midnight hour.

She will burn.
She will watch.
She will weep between the porch and the altar.

> “Blow the trumpet in Zion, declare a holy fast, call a sacred assembly… Let the priests, who minister before the Lord, weep between the portico and the altar…”
— Joel 2:15–17



We must wake up to:

The urgency of the hour.

The nearness of judgment.

The call to holiness.

The return of our Bridegroom.



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2. The Bride Makes Herself Ready

> “His bride has made herself ready.”
— Revelation 19:7



She doesn’t wait for the culture to applaud her.
She doesn’t wait for comfort or convenience.
She prepares herself in secret, clothed in righteousness, trimmed with oil, burning with love.

This is the season of preparation, not passivity.

We are not meant to be caught off guard like the foolish virgins.

> “But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept... And the door was shut.”
— Matthew 25:5,10



Only the watchful will enter.
Only the faithful will endure.
Only the bride will be welcomed.


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3. What Does Preparation Look Like?

Repentance: Ongoing, brutal honesty before God. No pretense.

Purity: A war against every compromise of the flesh.

Obedience: Not lip service, but surrender in secret and in public.

Worship: Not entertainment—but fire on the altar.

Prayer: Not routine—but groaning intercession for souls.

Word: Not snacking—but feasting, devouring, hiding His Word in our hearts.

Boldness: Preaching truth with no apology, no softening, no shame.


> “Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run…”
— Hebrews 12:1



The Bride prepares like an army trains: intensely, seriously, with one focus—Him.


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4. He Is Coming for the Faithful

> “When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”
— Luke 18:8



He is not coming for celebrity Christians.
Not for the progressive theologians.
Not for the compromised denominations.
Not for churches that buried the Word under fog machines and fairy dust.

He’s coming for those who never stopped watching.
Those who burned in the secret place.
Those who bore His reproach gladly.

Those who still weep over sin.
Still tremble at His voice.
Still long for His return.


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This is the hour of the remnant. The Bride is rising. The King is coming.

> “And the Spirit and the Bride say, ‘Come.’ And let him who hears say, ‘Come.’”
— Revelation 22:17



He is not waiting on the world.
He is waiting on His Bride to be ready.

 

[RenewedStrength316]

Part 6: The Sword and the Fire – Returning to Apostolic Preaching


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> “Is not my word like fire,” declares the Lord, “and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?”
— Jeremiah 23:29



What happened to preaching that burns?
That splits the heart like wood under an axe?
What happened to pulpits that thundered with truth and wept with holy fear?

We’ve traded the sword for soothing.
The fire for fog.
The gospel for gimmicks.

But the Word of God is not tame.
It is not motivational.
It is dangerous—because it exposes what is false, wounds what is flesh, and raises what is dead.

> “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword… it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”
— Hebrews 4:12



We must return.


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1. The Apostolic Church Preached With Fire

> “And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.”
— Acts 4:31



Boldness. Not flattery.
Conviction. Not charm.

Peter didn’t soften his sermon on Pentecost.
He didn’t say, “God loves you just the way you are.”
He cried out, “Repent!” (Acts 2:38).
He accused the crowd of crucifying Christ—and 3,000 were cut to the heart.

Why?
Because the Spirit of God rides on the sword of truth, not on the cloud of comfort.


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2. What the Modern Pulpit Has Forgotten

That hell is real, and people are going there.

That sin is fatal, and cannot be tolerated.

That Jesus is not one of many ways, but the Way.

That repentance is not optional, but foundational.

That truth is not harsh—it is holy.


> “Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.”
— 2 Timothy 4:2



But we’ve stopped preaching.
We perform. We host. We entertain.
We fear people leaving more than we fear the Lord departing.

> “My people love it so! But what will you do in the end?”
— Jeremiah 5:31




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3. We Must Preach Like Eternity Is Real

> “Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men…”
— 2 Corinthians 5:11



The early church preached with urgency—because they understood the stakes.
They preached as if people were hanging over the edge of hell—because they were.

When Paul stood before kings, he didn't flatter. He testified.
When Stephen stood before Pharisees, he didn’t pander. He rebuked—and was stoned.

The Gospel is not about helping people feel better.
It is about raising the dead, opening blind eyes, and tearing down idols.

If it doesn’t offend the flesh, it probably wasn’t the Gospel.


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4. Let the Fire Fall Again

> “Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar…”
— Joel 2:17



We don’t need more sermons.
We need more fire.

We need preaching:

That convicts the compromised.

That awakens the lukewarm.

That delivers the addicted.

That calls out sin by name.

That refuses to make peace with darkness.


The world is not waiting for a better presentation.
It’s groaning for a holy declaration—a prophetic roar that says:

> “Thus says the Lord: REPENT. For the Kingdom of God is at hand.”




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The sword must be unsheathed again. The fire must fall. The pulpits must burn.

Not with charisma, but with consecration.
Not with polish, but with power.

Because the Lamb is worthy of a Church that preaches like He is returning.

 

[RenewedStrength316]

Part 7: The Final Cry – Judgment Begins in the House of God


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> “For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?”
— 1 Peter 4:17



This is not a gentle wake-up call.
This is the blast of a trumpet before the shaking begins.
Before judgment rolls through the temples and sanctuaries and pulpits and pews.

We have blamed the culture.
We’ve pointed fingers at Hollywood, at politicians, at school systems and social media.
But judgment does not begin with Babylon.
It begins with Zion.

It begins with us.


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1. God Is Cleaning His House First

> “See, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me... But who can endure the day of His coming?... For He will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap.”
— Malachi 3:1–2



God will not dwell among a Church that harbors idols.

He is flipping tables.
He is exposing wolves.
He is stripping away the religious show.

He is coming—not first with comfort, but with a sword.

> “I know your works… because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I will vomit you out of My mouth.”
— Revelation 3:15–16



This is not a verse for unbelievers.
It was written to a church.


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2. Stop Entertaining What God Wants to Judge

We tolerate what He calls an abomination.
We platform what He says must be put to death.
We bless what He will soon curse.

We have LGBTQ pastors twisting Scripture to justify sin.
We have prosperity teachers making merchandise of Christ.
We have pulpits that affirm fornication, abortion, universalism, and compromise—and still dare to lift their hands in worship.

> “You hate all who do wrong; You destroy those who tell lies. The bloodthirsty and deceitful You, Lord, detest.”
— Psalm 5:5–6



Who will tremble again at His Word?


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3. The Fear of the Lord Must Return

> “The Lord is in His holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before Him.”
— Habakkuk 2:20



When the fear of God leaves the sanctuary, demons enter it.
When reverence dies, entertainment takes its place.
And when truth is silenced, deception grows bold.

We must return to a place where:

People tremble when the Word is read.

Altars are soaked in tears again.

Conviction is welcomed, not avoided.

Sin is not just forgiven—but forsaken.


> “The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him, and He will show them His covenant.”
— Psalm 25:14




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4. This Is the Hour of Decision

> “Choose this day whom you will serve.”
— Joshua 24:15



This is not just about the world.
This is about you.
Me.
Us.

Are we part of the Bride—or part of Babylon?
Will we tremble or will we trample His Word?

> “Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.”
— Joel 3:14



We cannot delay any longer.

God is drawing a line.
And every soul must decide:

Will I stand with Him, or against Him?


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Final Call: Repent, Return, Rebuild

We are not too far gone.
Revival is not a myth.
But it will cost us everything.

The shows.

The pride.

The excuses.

The idols.

The sin.


> “If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways…”
— 2 Chronicles 7:14



Then He will hear.
Then He will forgive.
Then He will heal.


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> “Return to Me,” declares the Lord of Hosts, “and I will return to you.”
— Zechariah 1:3



The Bride must wake up.
The sword must be raised.
The fire must fall.
And the Church must be holy again.

 

[RenewedStrength316]

Epilogue: The Bride Must Make Herself Ready

> “Let us rejoice and exult and give Him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His Bride has made herself ready.”
— Revelation 19:7



He’s coming.

Not as the meek Lamb of silent submission.
Not as the humble Teacher mocked by men.
But as the King of Glory, eyes burning with flame, robe dipped in blood, riding a white horse with the armies of heaven at His back.

And the only ones He’s coming for—
are those who’ve made themselves ready.

Not entertained.
Not affirmed.
Not successful.
Ready.

Clothed in righteousness.
Washed in blood.
Free of mixture, free of idols, free of compromise.

> “Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.”
— Revelation 19:9



But you must RSVP now—with your life.


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Final Reflection: Look at Yourself in the Fire

If you’ve read this series and felt nothing, read it again.
If you wept—good. Let those tears baptize your altar.
If you got angry—ask yourself why.

Because this wasn’t written to tickle ears.
This was written to tear down walls.

God is calling a people who will:

Preach like Elijah.

Repent like David.

Pray like Daniel.

Roar like John the Baptist.

Stand like Stephen.

Burn like the early Church.


The hour is late.
The line has been drawn.
And the fire is falling—not just in judgment, but in mercy.

But it will consume you either way.

So here’s the question:

Will you be refined, or reduced to ashes?

> “Our God is a consuming fire.”
— Hebrews 12:29



No more games.
No more casual Sunday faith.
No more double lives.
No more delay.

> “Even now,” declares the Lord, “return to Me with all your heart, with fasting, weeping and mourning… Rend your heart and not your garments.”
— Joel 2:12–13




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This is the last warning before the wedding.

Make yourself ready.

Or be left outside the door.