Are You Ready? 

A spiritual guide for the remnant Bride preparing for the return of the Bridegroom 

Introduction

In 2022 Nick Szkiler, and I co-wrote the booklet Crossing Over. This was originally intended to be the final chapter in the book Becoming an Issachar People by Clifford and Monica Hill. Subsequently, the Issachar trustees felt the chapter contained sufficient vision and inspiration outlining a way forward not only for Issachar Ministries itself but also for the wider Bible-believing remnant of the Body of Christ, that it should become a standalone publication.

In the booklet, Nick and I outlined our sense that the season for individual ministries was drawing to a close, and that instead God would bring together various differing aspects of His wider Body, in order to form a world-wide movement of His people; an end-time move of God using a people who not only understand the times and the seasons but also know what God’s people should be and do in very practical ways. We called this movement an Issachar People.

Having said that, this movement is something far bigger than Issachar will ever be, because it is a message God is speaking to His children all over the world today. It represents a monumental shift from the organisational ‘temple’ model of being church to a return to a much simpler, organic, Spirit-led model; like that which constituted the early church in the book of Acts, and perhaps not dissimilar to that which once incarnated in the four nations of the British Isles by the early Celtic believers.

It is not only by understanding but also by acting upon these truths that we are equipped to live as overcomers.

The Issachar trustees have implemented this transition by bringing together three distinct ministries – Issachar Ministries, Prophecy Today and New Beginnings Discipleship – into one Issachar People. It is hoped this will also lead to a greater degree of partnership and co-operation with other like-minded Christian ministries in the future. 

Discipleship in small groups and the intentional building of localised prayer and fellowship groups spread across the British Isles was discerned as being a key element not only in building a vital trusted network of like-minded believers, but also in preparing the Body to stand strong in Christ through the increasingly dark and uncertain times in which we are living. Using systematic biblical teaching and practice, our hope is that members of these groups will each seek to put down deeper roots into their relationship with God, understanding more of what it means to be in a covenant relationship with Him, the Creator and Sustainer of all things. It is not only by understanding but also by acting upon these truths that we are equipped to live as overcomers.

Discipleship must also include identifying and applying God’s kingdom values to challenge and change our lives, so that the allure of the world, our own fleshly desires and instincts, and any spiritual footholds the enemy may have gained within us are weeded out, so that we can truly become the individuals God created us to be in the beginning; wholly set apart to Him, His will and purposes for our lives. We are each surrounded by those who have yet to come to faith in Jesus, many of whom are fearful and most without any form of hope, so confidence in witnessing and discipling people into faith is also a key element of discipleship.

Confidence in witnessing and discipling people into faith is also a key element of discipleship.

Prayer and intercession must be another vital element in this new movement. In many ways we are reaping the harvest, both in the church and in our nation, of years of prayerlessness or ineffective selfish ‘bless me and bless what I’m doing’ style of praying in the Body of Christ. If we wish to see and partner with God in His end-time harvest then the church must be equipped in how to enter more deeply into His presence, to intentionally listen for His voice – for Him to reveal the things that are on His heart for our towns and villages - and then pray effectively.

So, in this follow up booklet entitled Are You Ready?, my aim is to give some very practical challenges for how we are to become an Issachar People. It is all about the preparation of the bride of Christ because as the days draw on it is for a bride who is wholly prepared, single-mindedly set apart, radically obedient and who has made herself ready to meet Him, that He is returning. 

Context

The problem with the context in which we are living is that it is constantly and rapidly changing. There are many scenarios being implemented across the world stage today that my core group of intercessors saw prophetically in our Cumbrian prayer house twenty years ago.

At that time, we came to understand that in the days leading up to Jesus’ return, those of us who remain alive will face a whole series of seemingly natural, yet devastating ecological, economic, social and political circumstances. These events and outcomes will have considerable consequences, particularly for Christians, in how we are allowed by those in authority to live our daily lives, to practise and share our faith.

 Our civil liberties to speak and live out our faith are already undermined in the laws of our land. 

There was an urgency to this message when we received it in 2005. It was underlined for us three years later when we felt God gave more detail. At that point we travelled widely throughout England sharing the message and calling the bride to prepare herself both spiritually and practically. At that time, we were largely met with blank faces covered in unbelief! Even some of those who did embrace the message at the time emptied the storehouses they had carefully prepared, and retreated into organised religion. The passage of time diluted the urgency and power of the word they had originally heard and accepted.

It is now time to wake up! Increasingly, we are living in the practical reality of what we saw in the Spirit back then: every aspect of modern society is being severely tested and shaken, which is actually the outworking of God’s judgement on generations who have turned their backs on Him, driven Him out of schools, forgotten His word, removed His model for family life and legislated Him out of the laws of our land.

The established denominational church is, to a considerable extent, an apostate bride. But for those who continue to hold to biblical truth, persecution is no longer something that happens to people elsewhere; it is already beginning here. Our civil liberties to speak and live out our faith are already undermined in the laws of our land. And in the wake of the atrocities meted out on the Jewish people during World War II, when humanity pledged never to allow it to be repeated, today’s rise in anti-Semitism could well lead to a new, hideous global holocaust.

​The apostles expected His imminent return, and this expectation has been repeated throughout history.

As believers in Jesus, we are not like those Paul spoke of “…who are without hope and without God in the world.” (Eph 2:12). Rather, our context should be defined by the constant hope and expectation of His return. In his end-time discourse (Matt 24), Jesus outlined a relatively short but fiercely intense time of sifting in the nations that must precede His coming.

The apostles expected His imminent return, and this expectation has been repeated throughout history: for example, during the Crusades and the Reformation, during the reign of severe persecution of Protestants under Catholic Queen ‘Bloody’ Mary and during Cromwell’s Commonwealth of England. Persecution of God-fearing believers has always been a sign for those living in this expectation.

Jesus said, ‘When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near’ (Luke 21:28). Hallelujah!

To be continued ….

Are You Ready? is available from Sarah at sarah@issacharpeople.org for £8.00 which includes £2.95 postage.