A Call to the Shepherds in the Midnight Hour

Fellow laborers, precious brothers and sisters in the service of our Great King:

I approach you today not with a spirit of judgment or self-righteousness, but with a heart that is genuinely burdened; a heart that aches with the profound weight of the message the Holy Spirit has so graciously laid upon me this morning. We find ourselves in a pivotal moment, a time that resonates with urgency and anticipation. Truly, we are living in the twilight of this age, a season where the signs are all around us, and the very fabric of our world is shifting.

The shadows of this world are lengthening, and I sense the fig tree is budding; an unmistakable sign that our Lord’s return is drawing near. Can you feel it? The stirring in your spirit that whispers of His imminent coming? I can hear the distant sound of the Bridegroom’s footsteps, echoing through the corridors of time, beckoning us to awaken from our slumber and prepare our hearts for His glorious arrival.

The hour is indeed far spent, and the King is at the door. Oh, how my heart longs for each of you to understand the urgency of this moment! We are called to be vigilant, steadfast, and filled with the love of Christ, shining brightly as beacons of hope in a world that desperately needs His light. Draw near to Him, seeking His wisdom and guidance so that we may be ready to greet our Savior with joy and expectation.

Encourage one another in faith, pray fervently, and live boldly in His grace, as we await the glorious day when we will see Him face to face. The nearness of His return is not just a promise; it is a call to action, a divine invitation to be the hands and feet of Jesus in these last days. Rise up and fulfill your calling, for the time is now, and our King is coming soon!

With a heart overflowing with love and a spirit keenly aware of the imminent return of our Lord and Savior, I feel compelled to share these words with you. It is with a heavy yet hopeful heart that I approach this sacred moment, trembling at the thought of standing before the Bema Seat of Christ, where we will all give an account for the souls entrusted to our care. I write this as one who deeply loves God’s people, longing for each of you to thrive in the fullness of His grace.

As I reflect on the state of our beloved sanctuary, I cannot help but weep. Our Great Shepherd, who selflessly laid down His very life-blood for each one of us, surveys His pastures today; and what He finds breaks my heart. Instead of the sweet, fragrant incense of holiness rising to His throne, He is met with the sour, suffocating stench of “strange fire” (Leviticus 10:1). This strange fire represents anything that is not of Him, a substitute for the genuine worship and reverence that He desires from His people.

Oh, how I yearn for a revival in our hearts and in our congregation! We must awaken from our slumber and return to the sacredness of our calling. Do not be content with the status quo or settle for anything less than the pure, unadulterated presence of God among us. The time is urgent! The hour is late and the signs of His return are all around us. Strive to be a people who honor Him in spirit and in truth, who seek after His heart with fervor and passion.

Come together in earnest prayer, asking the Holy Spirit to ignite within us a fire that is pure, a fire that glorifies Him and draws others to His love. Cast aside any distractions, any compromises, and allow the Holy Spirit to cleanse us, to renew us, and to set us ablaze for His kingdom.

Rise up as a holy sanctuary, a dwelling place for His glory, so that when our Shepherd returns, He will find in us not strange fire, but the sweet aroma of holiness and love!

Please, I implore you, listen to what the Spirit is saying to the shepherds.

I. The Tragedy of the Isolated Throne: Fleeing the Safety of the Elders

I come to you today burdened with a message from the heart of God, a message that echoes with urgency in these times when we feel the nearness of Christ’s return. The Lord is speaking to many of you about the “Folly of Rehoboam.” We stand at a critical juncture in our leadership and our communities, and I implore you to heed this divine warning.

We have witnessed a generation of leaders who have tragically mistaken the sacred mantle of authority for a license to operate in unchecked autonomy. Oh, listen closely! In your quest for influence and success, you have silenced the wise voices of the silver-haired elders; those precious saints who carry the scars of long-suffering, the weight of wisdom, and the insight of the Holy Spirit. Instead, you have surrounded yourselves with “yes-men” and the impulsive energy of the ambitious, forsaking the very counsel that could guide you back to the path of righteousness (1 Kings 12:8-13).

Do not forget, the loving correction of the righteous is meant to steer us, not to stifle us. If you have viewed such guidance as an affront to your “anointing,” I urge you to examine your heart. An anointing that cannot withstand scrutiny is not an anointing at all; it has lost its way. Proverbs reminds us that “the ear that hears wholesome rebuke will lodge among the wise” (Proverbs 15:31). When we isolate ourselves from accountability, my dear friends, we are not building a flourishing ministry; we are constructing a tomb; a place of death where the Spirit can no longer move.

In the multitude of counselors, there is safety (Proverbs 11:14). Without these wise voices to guide us, we are left vulnerable to the pride that precedes a catastrophic fall. I urge you to repent of this isolation! Come down from your pedestal, humble yourselves, and return to the Body of Christ. We are called to be a community, to bear one another’s burdens, and to walk together in the light of His truth.

Remember that the return of our Lord is imminent. We must be vigilant, humble, and united, leaning on the wisdom of those who have walked this path before us. May we not miss the call to accountability, for in it lies our strength, our growth, and our very survival as a body of believers.

II. The Desecration of the Sacred Desk: The Sword vs The Dagger

Take a moment to reflect on the sanctity of the pulpit; the sacred desk where the Word of God is proclaimed. This holy place is not merely a platform for oratory or a stage for personal agendas; it is the altar where we encounter the living God and His transformative truth. It was never intended to become a “bully pulpit,” wielded for petty grievances or as a means to manipulate the hearts of God’s beloved flock into compliance. When we misuse the precious Word of God to settle scores or instill fear, we are not nurturing the sheep; we are, in fact, fleecing them.

The prophet Ezekiel warns us, “Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of My pasture!” (Ezekiel 34:2). This is a solemn reminder of the weighty responsibility we bear as ministers of the Gospel. Our mandate is crystal clear: Preach the Word! Be ready in season and out of season (2 Timothy 4:2). We are called to wield the Sword of the Spirit; sharp, penetrating, and full of life; to cut away the sin that ensnares us, not to employ the daggers of our insecurities to inflict wounds upon the very people we are meant to shepherd.

We must be mindful that when we resort to psychological pressure or seek to exert authority over others (1 Peter 5:3), we are encroaching upon the sacred territory of the Holy Spirit. It is not our role to convict of sin (John 16:8); that is the divine work of the Comforter, who gently guides us into all truth. Therefore, humble ourselves and return to a ministry characterized by “longsuffering and teaching,” where we are first broken by the Word before we dare to share it with others.

In these urgent times, as we sense the nearness of Christ’s return, recommit yourselves to the high calling of preaching the Gospel with love, grace, and truth. Your hearts be filled with compassion for God’s people and may we never lose sight of the profound honor it is to stand before them. Together, let us seek to uplift, encourage, and equip one another, all while being ever-so-grateful for the transformative power of God’s Word in our own lives.

III. The Sin of Simon: The Manufacture of “Glory”

My heart is heavy with the weight of what truly grieves the Holy Spirit in this midnight hour. The alarming reality is that we have become adept at crafting a façade of divine encounters while we have grown blind to the true “State of Grace” that God so desperately desires for His people. We are, indeed, living in perilous times, where the haunting echoes of Simon Magus resonate all too clearly. Like Simon, we are tempted to believe that the gifts and the glory of our Almighty God can be conjured through our human efforts, emotional hype, or even through the performance of so-called “prophetic” acts (Acts 8:18-23).

Oh, how it saddens me to witness the Lord’s flock being prodded into artificial displays of spiritual fervor! When we, as shepherds, manipulate the atmosphere in such a way that we create frenzies to simulate the genuine power of God, we step into the realm of sorcery; a spirit of pharmakeia that seeks to draw attention to ourselves rather than lifting up the precious name of Jesus, the Lamb of God (Acts 20:30). This is not the way of our Savior, dear friends! We are called not to build our own kingdoms but to lead others to the Kingdom of Heaven.

Our God is a jealous God; He declares with fervor, “I will not give My glory to another” (Isaiah 42:8). To manufacture a move of the Spirit is to offer nothing more than a hollow counterfeit; an empty promise that leaves the sheep of His pasture famished, disillusioned, and ultimately cynical. This insidious practice embodies the very definition of “having a form of godliness but denying its power” (2 Timothy 3:5). It is high time we cease striving to “help” God, as if His divine will requires our assistance. Miracles, true miracles, are the sovereign prerogative of the King of Kings, not the result of theatrical productions or manipulative ministry.

In this urgent hour, let us return to our first love, seeking His face with earnest hearts! May we cultivate an environment where the Spirit of God can move freely, unencumbered by human agendas or performance. Be faithful stewards of the mysteries of God, pointing all glory back to Him, the one who is worthy of all praise. Together, let us cry out for genuine encounters with the Holy Spirit, for it is only in His presence that we find true life, true power, and true glory. Come, Holy Spirit, come!

IV. The Final Warning: The Lampstand is Trembling

Pause and reflect on the state of the modern church. We find ourselves in a perilous age, a time where the intoxicating allure of “influence” has overshadowed the ever-essential call to “intimacy” with our Lord. We have become so enamored with the spotlight, so captivated by the applause of the world, that we have inadvertently neglected the sacredness of the Secret Place; the quiet, holy chamber where the heart communes with the Holy Spirit.

In our quest for recognition, we have, at times, “strengthened the hands of evildoers” (Jeremiah 23:14). We have prioritized performance over purity, chasing after “likes” instead of earnestly seeking to embody the likeness of Christ. The urgency of this hour cannot be overstated; we must awaken to the reality that our effectiveness is not measured by social media metrics but by our proximity to the heart of God.

Heed the voice of the resurrected Christ, who walks amidst the lampstands of His church. He beckons us with a loving yet firm reminder: “Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand” (Revelation 2:5). This is a sobering warning, dear friends. A church may boast a healthy budget, an impressive building, and a recognizable brand, yet if it lacks the Light of Christ, it is but a hollow shell; a tragedy that echoes through the corridors of eternity.

In a world that grows ever darker, Do not be a lightless church. The urgency of our mission is unmistakable; we must rise up with renewed fervor, returning to our first love. It is time to rekindle the flame of intimacy with our Savior, to seek His presence above all else, and to allow His Light to shine through us. We are called to be the city on a hill, the beacon of hope in a lost and broken world.

Do not allow our lampstand to tremble. Instead, let us anchor ourselves in prayer, in worship, and in the Word, so that we may be filled to overflowing with the Holy Spirit. May we shine brightly, reflecting the glory of our Lord and drawing all men unto Him as we await His glorious return. The time is now, dear family in Christ; let us arise and let our lights shine forth!

The Call to Restoration: A Way Home

I come to you with a heavy heart and an urgent message. The clock is ticking, and the sands of time are swiftly slipping through the hourglass. Our Heavenly Father is reaching out, longing for shepherds who will faithfully tend to His flock, who will “feed His lambs” with the Bread of Life rather than the empty husks of human pride and ego (John 21:15). Oh, how He desires for us to return to the simplicity and purity of the Gospel!

Sackcloth and Ashes:

Let us humble ourselves before the Lord. We are not called to a showy repentance for the world to see, but to a heartfelt, private surrender in our prayer closets. Let us weep for our pride, for our complacency, and for the times we have strayed from His path. It is in our brokenness that we find His healing, and in our tears that He establishes a new beginning.

Restore the Word:

Oh, that our pulpits would once again be filled with the glorious message of Christ! The proclamation of His Word must be our foremost priority. When we step into that holy place, may we magnify Jesus and crucify the self, as we are reminded in Galatians 2:20. If we fail to show Him, we have failed in our mission. Let us be vessels of His truth, proclaiming the Gospel with clarity and conviction.

Cease the Performance:

Let us lay down the masks and the theatrics that have infiltrated our worship. The power of the Gospel is enough! It is the very power of God unto salvation (Romans 1:16). We do not need to embellish it with our own cleverness or charisma; we need only to be obedient vessels, trusting in His mighty hand to work miracles through His Word.

Submit to the Body:

In our journey of faith, let us not forsake the wisdom of those who have walked before us. If we have pushed away those wise counselors, let us humbly seek their forgiveness and invite them back into our lives. We are designed to be in community, to sharpen one another, and to uphold each other in love and truth.

May we find the grace to tremble at His Word (Isaiah 66:2). Let us willingly die to our need for recognition and reputation so that Christ may truly live and move in our midst. The Spirit and the Bride call out, “Come!” Yes, Lord Jesus, come and restore us! May we be ready for Your return, living in a state of eager anticipation and holy reverence.

With a heart full of love for you and a deep fear of the Lord,
A Voice Crying in the Wilderness