Regarding the hard times that are here and are coming ~
The Lord showed me (and so many others) months ago in Ezekiel 21 about what is coming: that the righteous AND the wicked are going to die. The Lord is drawing His sword from it's sheath and will not return it. He's fed up. Yes, He's talking to Israel, but is also talking to us today, worldwide. I would like to share the following of what He's shown me as my testimony, the Lord reveals His secrets unto His saints, does He not? So sharing what He's shown us is part of our testimony, right. The world is not getting any better but is more corrupt and we know it.
Many Christians are hoping and claiming the scriptures and saying they will (hopefully) be spared from anything that could harm them, that the Lord isn't going to let anything bad happen to them: bad things happen to Believers all the time. Everywhere. Murdered, die in catastrophic events, etc., and yes He CAN protect us, yes He WILL protect MANY, yes Henry Gruver and Dumitru Dudumen, Dana Coverstone (for example) have seen visions of many Believers supernaturally protected that were kneeling in prayer for God's protection, but it also says in His Word that He will be with us to the end, that we are to endure to the end, that we will be tried by fire, to refine, to be made pure, and what about the Believers in the book of Acts that were martyred. We all know so many that love Jesus that have died horrific ways when you would think, how could THEY die that way?! They're BELIEVERS!
Jesus said in Luke 13:4 "Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem?” I so admire someone that comes right out and tells it like it is without worrying about 'offending someone' and that includes offending a Christian or going against the flow of the day. I think it's very necessary to address this because if we don't address that RIGHTEOUS PEOPLE STILL DIE HORRIFIC DEATHS, then there will be those that call themselves Christians that will fall away from their faith in God because "God didn't do what they felt He'd promised in His Word, about protecting the righteous" or answering their prayers the way they'd so hoped things would go, like they claimed He would because they were standing on the scriptures that say so.
I already know many that have fallen away: his brother and others committed suicide so He no longer believes in the sovereignty of God; many felt led to pray for a young mother to be healed of end stage cancer but died anyway so now her mom is cynical about prayer; this one and that one wasn't healed quickly like the Word says should happen. When we receive the gift of His Holy Spirit as Jesus promised to send us as Comforter/Teacher, then we're to learn to listen to Him, read read read His Word, study by digging into it like an archeologist/researcher/seeker of truth; know His voice and what He's saying to us personally, not what He's telling someone else to do nor going to others first for 'advice', but seeking Him for ourselves, what's He telling ME: "Lord what do you want me to do, what scriptures do you want me to stand on now, today, regarding what's coming,..."
He says in His Word that be. Ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you. Matthew 7:7-11. He is, He IS, our high tower; WHEN we go through trials/tribulations we run INTO His High tower. Our safety is IN Him: not that we won't go through bad times, but that when we DO, our peace, our protection, our SAFETY, is IN Him, a wall of protection, of faith in Him, faith to endure by the power of the Holy Spirit. "Not by might nor by power but by My Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts." Zecheriah 4:6.
Never assume that everyone that calls him or herself a Christian is seeking the Lord with all of their might or repenting of their sins, nor that they even really know Jesus, because when you actually KNOW Him, then you have a relationship with Him. We must also obey Him, in purity and holiness, continually confessing our sins, repenting of them, and in forgiveness by His blood, to be led and walk by His Spirit and not in our old carnal nature. There must be a transformation in our lives, there has to be change by His Grace, yes, but not to continue in sin. Hello.
You talk to Him and you know that He hears you because He talks to you, as well. Through others, through His Word, for sure. "And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:13 He doesn't lie, He CANNOT lie, because He's not a LIAR. He only tells us the truth. So therefore, if He says we will find Him if we seek Him with all that is within us then we WILL find Him. I've heard many people over the past few years talk about how they're afraid that after they die, Jesus will say 'Go away, I never knew you." Well then, get to KNOW Him. That's what Jesus came for; to reconcile us to Himself, He tore away the veil between us and the Father. Listen, we have no more time to sit here and question if we're in right standing or not.
We've got to get into the business at hand, in whatever He's called us to do in the Body of Christ, and most of us are in the background, unseen, just waiting on Him, learning of Him, collecting that oil for the time when we're going to have to actually get into the battle.
I say all of this in love, I say this because the Lord doesn't want anyone to fall away from Him.
Blessings, blessings, blessings in Christ Jesus our Lord and Saviour, the One True Son of God our Father, YHWH. :)