What is meant by “stand in Holy places”? Where is there a holy place wherein “all” can stand? May I kindly suggest that we can make our homes a holy place wherein all can stand.
We are taught in 1Timothy 5:8 “But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.”
Harsh words indeed, but also a strong reminder of parental responsibilities. When examined more carefully, these words from the apostle Paul are only harsh to those who have not so chosen to “provide for his own”. Those words are, on the other hand, a source of comfort and peace of mind to those who have obeyed and prepared and provided.
I am going to suggest at this point that the “providing” spoken of is two fold. The charge is to provide spiritual leadership and temporal leadership for each respective household. Every Christian who has carefully searched the scriptures should be fully informed and warned of the calamities preceding the second coming of the Lord. The big question is, have we heeded these warnings and made appropriate spiritual and temporal preparations to abide these impending calamities?
Before examining some of the scriptural warnings, let’s first take a hypothetical case. (This might not be a hypothetical case in the coming times and seasons)
If your Pastor gave you the challenge next Sunday to go home and remain in the confines of your home for the next 90 days, how well would you be prepared? How many days weeks or months could this “holy place” called your home, remain a safe haven to independently “provide for your own”?
Could you survive for 1 week? Three weeks? Three months? Or longer?
Sometimes I fear that heathen nations like Egypt who heeded young Joseph’s prophetic warning of a severe famine, have heeded his warnings and prepared for those disasters far better than we have.
If as the head of a household you gave yourself the above challenge, how prepared would you find yourself? Or probably more accurate how unprepared would you be? I suspect you would find in most cases, the test would be shocking to say the least!
I would strongly urge families to spend a few evenings in taking inventory and brainstorming what would be required to wisely budget the needs required to have adequate food, water, toiletries and medical supplies needed for survival for even short periods of 3 months.
Making such preparations for some will be a mighty task and be very difficult. For others it may mean simply to forego a vacation, not buying that Harley, boat, quad runner, wave runner, fishing or hunting trip, etc.
Medical emergencies or loss of employment for any number of reasons are also possible scenarios that might warrant such preparations.
The scriptures speak of a desolating scourge that shall cover the land. This could be one of several categories. Chemical or biological warfare or Nuclear fallout. Some natural disasters might also apply.
Joel 2:27 “And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the LORD your God, and none else: and my people shall never be ashamed.
And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit. And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.”
Joel 3:1-21 “For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land. And they have cast lots for my people; and have given a boy for an harlot, and sold a girl for wine, that they might drink. Yea, and what have ye to do with me, O Tyre, and Zidon, and all the coasts of Palestine? will ye render me a recompence? and if ye recompence me, swiftly and speedily will I return your recompence upon your own head; Because ye have taken my silver and my gold, and have carried into your temples my goodly pleasant things: The children also of Judah and the children of Jerusalem have ye sold unto the Grecians, that ye might remove them far from their border. Behold, I will raise them out of the place whither ye have sold them, and will return your recompence upon your own head: And I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hand of the children of Judah, and they shall sell them to the Sabeans, to a people far off: for the LORD hath spoken it. Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up: Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong. Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together round about: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O LORD. Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about. Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great. Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision. The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining.
The LORD also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the LORD will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel.
So shall ye know that I am the LORD your God dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain: then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers pass through her any more. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the mountains shall drop down new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the rivers of Judah shall flow with waters, and a fountain shall come forth of the house of the LORD, and shall water the valley of Shittim. Egypt shall be a desolation, and Edom shall be a desolate wilderness, for the violence against the children of Judah, because they have shed innocent blood in their land. But Judah shall dwell for ever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation. For I will cleanse their blood that I have not cleansed: for the LORD dwelleth in Zion.” (Part 1)
