In prayer recently, the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart in a rather intense way. Usually, His voice is a soft, quiet and gentle whisper, but this time it was an intense directive. I heard Him say, “Prepare the fattened calf!”
I felt the urgency in His tone as He repeated it a second time to me, “Prepare the fattened calf!” Immediately I knew what He was saying to me, personally, and to the church as a whole: We should not be only concerned with getting them into the kingdom. (Don’t get me wrong, witnessing is vitally important, but it should not be the end goal.) Our end goal should be discipleship because, without it, many will fall by the wayside.
It is just as important that we are prepared to disciple them once they are here. We need to be preparing ourselves to walk alongside the prodigals as soon as they return. We need to be prepared to answer their questions and raise them up in the truth. This role of discipleship should not fall to the pastor or leader alone; this responsibility is for us all.
I also believe many prodigals will advance rapidly out of milk and into solid truths, for there is a grace in this hour for them to absorb the truth much faster than perhaps you or I have ever been able to. I encourage you, prepare for their return now. Buy the Bible for them now. For as soon as they return home, they will be immediately hungry to eat the Word.
Notice that when the prodigal son returned home, the father already had a fattened calf ready and waiting to be slaughtered. He was able to slaughter it immediately and give his son meat. I believe that we are going to see these prodigals advance, very quickly, beyond just the milk of the Word and onto the solid meat of His truths. So prepare for their return now. Begin fattening the calf, so to speak. Find resources for them that will help with their growth now. Prepare yourself, because I believe you will be holding many “at-home Bible studies,” just as the church did in the days of Pentecost.
A Second Wave of Pentecost: We Will Be Like Those Who Dream
I believe we have entered a second wave of Pentecost. The great harvest of the earth is here. You are going to see loved ones saved in a moment throughout this year and this decade. This is a time unlike any other, so rather than giving up in prayer, intensify your prayers, knowing that they are moving heaven and Earth, and watch what God will do. Your loved ones will say, “Look what the Lord has done because of you.” Because you were faithful to pray, you will taste and see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Heaven will testify of the many who will walk through its gates because you were faithful to pray. We will watch in the days to come as the lost return home in droves and we will declare, just as the psalmist did in Psalm 126:1-3:
“When the Lord restored the captives of Zion, we were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing. Then they said among the nations, ‘The Lord has done great things for them.’ The Lord has done great things for us; we are glad.” {eoa}
Christy Johnston was born and raised in Australia. After living the majority of her life plagued with insecurity and fear, she came to learn the power of her identity in Christ. She now lives with the mandate to breathe fresh hope and life into God’s sons and daughters through her passion of writing, uncovering the truths of living in grace and freedom through our identity in Christ. Nate and Christy have two daughters, Charlotte and Sophie, and currently live on the Gold Coast in Australia.
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