Phil Beach Jr. preaches about the urgent need for divine order to be restored in the home and church, emphasizing the failure of men to lead selflessly and the resulting rebellion in women who are forced to take the lead. He highlights the importance of men stepping up to their God-ordained leadership roles to prevent spiritual decay and destruction. Phil stresses the necessity for every member of Christ's church to pray for guidance and cooperate with God's plan for a healthy local body, rather than relying solely on human-initiated methods. He concludes by emphasizing the call for all believers to die to self, discover the abundant life of Jesus, and prepare for the imminent judgment that will begin in God's house.

DIVINE ORDER WILL BE RESTORED IN THE HOME AND CHURCH Recently the Lord showed me by His Word that two very serious problems must be addressed and corrected in this new year to prevent ongoing untold damage. The first problem is the failure of men to step up to the plate and take the lead in their homes and in the house of God. To put it frankly, today, the sin of men is their gross negligence to grow up and selflessly lead. This causes the second problem, which is a growing rebellion in the heart of women, who are forced to take the lead because men fail to. In doing so, women feel the need to occupy the place of leadership in the home, and by doing so, they step out of proper spiritual covering. By shouldering responsibilities they ought not to carry alone, they become vulnerable to being led astray by the evil one. This country is filled with men who refuse to accept the place of leadership God has ordained for them. Many of us are too selfish and lazy to carry the burden of spiritual leadership and because of this, the home and house of God is suffering much. When we truly follow the Word of God, we learn, not to live but die. In dying, we truly live according to God's will, in Christ. Restoration to God-ordained authority in the home and God's house must occur to prevent the current trend toward spiritual decay and destruction. This pattern must be broken. There are certain fundamental truths that must govern our homes as well as the house of God. During the final shaking before the Lord comes for His own, God will set in order these issues. Below they are briefly outlined. The hearts of men and women must be turned back to their children and the hearts of the children must be turned back to the parents! All too often the hearts of fathers are not focused on the spiritual needs of their wife and children but on their own desires, pursuits, careers and activities. Thus, the selfless sacrifice required to pour their lives into the Word of God, prayer and leading the family to the Word of God and meaningful fellowship with those of like faith is forfeited in exchange for indulging in fleeting pleasures. It takes time to grow and cultivate a beautiful garden—to plant, tend, weed, water and fertilize it. If a garden is neglected, the crops will not grow but will die or be eaten by unwanted insects or other animals that sneak in at night and feast on the young crops! Likewise, beloved, if men neglect the call of God to honor their Head, who is Christ, and fail to be the spiritual head of their wives and families, the desired spiritual growth in our homes and lives will not occur. Tragically, not only will growth be hindered, but in many instances the enemy will come in and bring unspeakable damage and spiritual ruin. The destruction may take many years to correct and in some cases be irreversible! This happens when we fail to die but embrace our own life, contrary to the Words of Jesus! Likewise, when men fail to offer themselves to God to bear His burden to care for the house of God, necessary guidance is neglected and the enemy comes in to sow his poison. This results in young believers who are not cared for and the neglect of those with life-controlling struggles. There is a lack of marriage counsel, house-to-house fellowship and sharing of the Word. Transparent accountability becomes elusive, and growing in a sound understanding of proper doctrine never occurs—all of this occurs when men fail to lead in the house of God. Every man must give account to God in these matters! EVERY MEMBER OF CHRIST'S CHURCH MUST PRAY FOR HIS GUIDANCE Certainly these spiritual dynamics cannot be implemented by human-initiated methods. Men cannot put together the many needed spiritual facets of a healthy local body in the same manner a business would be created and run. On the other hand, it is equally wrong to believe that proper spiritual growth in a local church will "just happen" without the diligent cooperation of each member, offering themselves to God in prayer and fasting to know His guidance. God cannot build up His body without each member being willing to deny their own desires and take up the interests of Jesus, according to His Word and obey Him in all things. All too often the corporate life of a local body is put together and run by a paid pastor and a few helpers. They put all the ministries together, make pleas for volunteers and keep everything running as smoothly as possible. Yet, we fail to see this example anywhere in the NT. Instead, in scripture, God raises up a body of believers and responsible men with the entire church to seek God for His guidance so that the needs of the members are met. It is the Lord who works through each person in their particular calling and gift. For this to happen, it is essential that each member devotes themselves to prayer, searching the Word and making a daily affirmation to deny their own desires and offer themselves to God. Our deepest need is not (only) more visible equipping ministry, but more grassroots ministry. There must be more direct and personal dealing with daily needs—needs that cannot be met without each member of the body playing their part! All necessary ministries cannot be "packed" into a Sunday. “Church” must be a daily reality among believers—in homes and during times of fellowship. While there is a need for the "visible" teaching ministries, they must be accompanied by the less noticeable—but equally important daily ministries such as shepherding, giving, hospitality, helping, showing mercy, caring for the needy, etc.. The body must be equipped so that each member operates in their own particular gifts to contribute to the building up of the body in love, under the guidance of our Lord Jesus. This happens when everyone obeys the Words of Jesus commanding us to deny our own life and takes up our cross daily. Whoever seeks to save his own life by devoting himself to its own desires will lose it but those who lose their own lives by denying them, devoting themselves to the Lord's interests will find life being lived in the sacrificial life of Jesus. In this way we become His body through which His unselfish love in manifest. WE ARE ALL CALLED TO DIE TO SELF TO DISCOVER THE ABUNDANT LIFE OF JESUS As a local body of believers all learn to find His abundant life by disowning their own, God will help all sincere believers to grow and be fit together and become a living temple for God's glory. We must remember there are certain fundamental truths that must govern our thinking as we ponder being the church of Jesus Christ and our desire to be a meaningful part of a growing local church. Implementing through a living faith in Christ these fundamental truths will ensure that we are giving God His place in our midst so He can truly be the author of all ministry and the source of all direction. This will ensure that the work belongs to Him and is not of man. Neglecting these truths will guarantee our failure to please God in our assembly life and an eventual departure from His leadership. In this condition, an outward system of religion can easily be maintained, either in a home or in a building—but be deficient of God's transforming grace, presence or guidance by His Spirit. Numbers are irrelevant. It is not spiritual to either be a small or large church. In the NT, churches numbered in the thousands in some places and only a few meeting in homes in other places. What matters is the foundation upon which we build, the material we use in building God's house and the source of our guidance and energy, either from God and His Word or from man. Yes, we are all human and prone to error and may miss God's plans at times. But to remain anchored by the unchanging truths of God's Word will ensure that we will recover from our error when we do miss God and be re-directed by Him back to the safety and surety of His guidance and government that comes to humble, praying people through His Spirit and Word. Everything in our homes and the church must have its origin and finality through a living, functional union with Jesus Christ. Christ condemns outward ritual that is void of inward reality. A smoothly running family can appear to be in good spiritual health when inwardly there may be very little reality of the presence and guidance of Jesus. Likewise, the same is true for a local church. Christ stands in the midst of every family and His church with eyes that penetrate from surface to center. Everything is being evaluated by Him. Nothing that is not born and maintained by His Spirit can remain. He is a consuming fire in our midst. He will destroy all mortar intended to hold our homes and His church together that has been fashioned by human wisdom, human strength and human skills! JUDGMENT WILL BEGIN IN GOD'S HOUSE The final day of visitation is quickly approaching when Christ will arise as the Judge of all the earth. Before the nations are judged by Christ, judgment will begin in God's house. This day of visitation is to prepare His beloved bride to be clothed with His radiant glory. Its purpose is also to remove everything in our homes and His church that is "combustible"! When shopping in malls you can find products that say, "Caution, flammable". God is now saying to us by His Word, "Caution, everything in your lives and in my church that is flammable will be destroyed!" During this hour of visitation and judgment in God's house, everything will be measured by Christ. He is foundation of the church and from Him alone comes the spiritual building material that He uses to make His people like Himself. This is why Christ is seen in the midst of His church in Revelation chapters two and three—because He is the standard and measuring rod to which everything in our lives must conform. God is pleased only with His Son. Only what is born of Christ and displays His moral likeness through the power of His Spirit will remain. God will not accept a righteousness that is from man. God will not accept a love other than His own love working in and through our lives by the Spirit of God. God will not accept the glory of man nor those who promote themselves as great ones, but only the glory of His Son. God will not accept any impure false doctrine that promotes catering to the works of flesh or embracing the love of money and lust for material possessions. God will not accept a lukewarm spiritual condition nor a falling from the heights of fervent first love. Our lives cannot be soiled from the world or corrupted by seductive teachers that condone and promote immorality or idolatry. Surely, this day of visitation is upon us even now, as the last of the last days quickly approaches. The fire will reveal what everything in our homes and churches are made of. All hay, wood and stubble will perish and only the gold, silver and precious stones will remain. Hay, wood and stubble consists of everything in the fabric of our living, at home and church that is not coming from Christ! Are we ready for this day of judgment? Considering the sober words of Peter would be to our advantage. This great and dreadful day of the Lord that Peter refers to begins as a day of visitation and judgment starting in His church and among the families that make it up at the closing hours of this church age. Then it will continue through the catching away of the faithful ones that remain and are left. Then judgments will fall on the nations and Israel up till the second advent of Christ with His saints to establish His kingdom on earth. Listen to the sober words of scripture regarding these soon coming events, "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless." EVERYTHING "COMBUSTIBLE" WILL BE CONSUMED Our life goal must be to live in obedience to God's clear Word, in light of this imminent day of the Lord. Accordingly, we all must strive in prayer to be holy, set apart to serve God's purpose alone, in our homes and in His church. Let us allow Him to search our lives, our homes and our churches to remove everything that is not in accord with His holy and blessed will! Since all these things that are "combustible" are in the process of being dissolved, and the day of visitation is quickly approaching, what kind of persons ought each of us be? Again, let us be reminded, "So, beloved, since you are expecting these things, be eager to be found by Him [at His coming] without spot or blemish and at peace [in serene confidence, free from fears and agitating passions and moral conflicts]." If we are not fully expecting these things, it is time to awake. If our lives are being lived as though these things will never happen, then we need a wake-up call! Now is the time to arise, dear ones and Christ will give us light to see clearly and keep us from stumbling in the dark. He will give us life to counter the death that is working in us. And finally he will give us truth to protect us from the ever present danger of being seduced by the father of lies. He will give us joy unspeakable and full of glory. Our hearts will be filled with His Spirit and we will speak to one another in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, singing praise in our hearts to the Lord! Our lives will be strengthened by His mighty power to obey His Word and thereby Christ will manifest His lovely moral beauty in our mortal bodies. Our weaknesses will serve to make us strong in Him and our failures will make His victories all the more glorious, keeping us from boasting in ourselves. Indeed, we shall glory in Him as our righteousness, holiness, redemption, wisdom and life. Through His miraculous strength we will not be mastered by the desires of indwelling sin and by the Spirit we will put to death such desires and live in righteousness. Indeed, God's commandments are not a burden but a delight to those who are in Christ Jesus. In Christ Jesus, the law of the Spirit of life sets us free from the law of sin and death enabling us to grow in practical participation with the perfections that are in our blessed Lord. May the Lord prepare us for His coming and keep us in His love. May we be fully alert, waiting in great anticipation for the trumpet to sound and His lovely face to appear!