PROPHETIC WORDS

“TIME’S UP!” ON ABUSE IN THE CHURCH

by Lyn Packer

March 2020

"Trigger Warning" – This post refers to both sexual abuse and abuses of power, so it may trigger emotions and memories for some people. Please know that it is not my heart to do so, but the Lord’s heart in this is for you to know that He has heard your cry for justice and is taking action. He is wanting to bring a stop to abuse so that no more people have to suffer abuse in His house. If this word triggers feelings or memories then please seek help and counsel so that you may receive healing from the Lord.

Over the past few weeks I have had a real sense of urgency in my spirit and the words “Time’s Up!” have been resonating in my heart, mind and spirit.

On asking the Lord about it I felt Him say, “Time’s Up! No longer will sexual abuse, or any abuse, be tolerated by Me or by My people in My family, the church." God is moving to clean up the church so that His people will know safety in His house and that the harvest will have a safe place to be brought into. He has given time for repentance and a change of behaviour to come, but that time is coming to an end.

I felt the Lord share with me that there is still a short period of grace being extended for repentance to take place, and for those who are abusing others to seek the help that they need, but when that period of grace is over we will see an exposing of sin on a grand scale that will make all previous exposure seem small by comparison.

This exposing will shock the church in a huge way and will cause a righteous fear of the Lord to be released into people’s lives. Abuse of any sort will become something that we no longer tolerate. Many women and men will say, “This has happened to me” and when it comes out in the open I believe that the Lord is cautioning us to not try to hide it or cover it up, but to deal with it righteously, according to Scriptural principles and according to the laws of the land. Allow room for genuine repentance but don’t be swayed by remorse alone. Genuine repentance causes a changed life and changed behaviour.

Trust doesn’t have to be automatically restored to abusers; renewed trust must be earnt through demonstrating the fruit of a changed life.

Healing and justice are being released to those who have suffered abuse at the hands of those who should have been trustworthy.

(This word is not a word about God bringing judgement and punishment upon the church. Sin has its own inbuilt judgement and consequences, and those who sin activate and release sin’s judgement and consequences upon themselves. This word is about sin being uncovered so that people can be safe, and those who have been abused in any way can become whole and healthy. God is a just God and He is saying, “It has to stop!” It's His love for both the abused and the abuser, it’s Him saying that He cares too much to let this continue any more.

There is a world of hurting people who need to see the church actually being new creations and living from that reality. We can no longer say, “Come to Christ and know some freedom”, but must be able to say, “Come to Christ and be totally set free and transformed.”)

BIO