We received and viewed a video tonight from a good friend in the Philippines who was preparing rice for dinner. She and her whole family are wonderful Christians who have devotions together to begin every day.
Now with me preparing rice for dinner....I just drop a....Boil In A Bag....in the pot....and go on the porch for ten minutes to smoke my pipe....but it's a strenuous procedure on the outer islands of the Philippines.
The first step was to separate the husks from the hard stems....and it did not look easy. Think of taking a broom and pulling all the straw out. OK....next you put the shredded rice into....think of a giant mortar and pestle that a pharmacist might use to pulverize pills....only the pestle looks like a bedpost....and is big enough to sink a canoe with if you threw it in. So you begin to pound the rice for ten or fifteen minutes.
The next step is to winnow the chaff....the method here is a woven tray that takes two hands to hold onto as you toss the rice in the air....the grain dropping back into the tray while the chaff blows on to the ground....for the chickens or the ducks to eat.
Well you would be tired by now but the next step is to do it all over again....pounding the rice....for all of the husk has to be removed....and winnowing a second time....then the rice is ready for supper....or in my case....I can hear the ten minute timer go off....and I come in to eat.
Right now....and for quite a number of years now....Christians....born again Christians to use that familiar yet redundant phrase....are in the process of having the husk ripped off. We are vexed as was Lot. As in Lot's case....he did hasten to leave....but his wife was hesitant....and in effect was winnowed as chaff. That alone would have been painful for Lot....and it is painful for us....to see other Christians hesitating....and ignoring very clear warnings to come out and be separate. From what I saw and heard in the video this evening....the pounding and the winnowing goes on until the rice is white.
We see our country collapsing....and we see the pulpits emasculated....that is the pounding. We feel the coldness....and sense the isolation.....that is the winnowing....but what will happen brothers and sisters....is that when the shaking ends....and we drop....we will find ourselves among others dressed in white....going into the....marriage supper of the Lamb!
"The angel said to me, 'Write this; Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.' And he said to me...'These are the true words of God'." Revelation 19:9
Note: The title verse is 2 Corinthians 6:17
