The Door is Closing

     You know how it is when you are sitting in a room full of people and someone is busy talking? Maybe that person is a friend, a co-worker, a teacher, or a pastor and they hit upon something that makes you wonder, "How do they know that about me?" The Holy Spirit is very good at doing that kind of thing. There you are, minding your own business and boom! Something is said that leaves you wondering if someone has been talking about you behind your back? No matter how He may apply something written in this blog to your life, let me assure those of you who know me that I do not sit here thinking, "I hope so-and-so reads this one because they need it!" The truth of the matter is, I spend my time in front of this screen praying and often crying through the words. Wanting His will alone to be done. Not mine. The answers to those prayers sometimes work their way out through my own convictions and experiences, but from what I seen through the years that is part of His plan for the Body.1

     I am one of many to whom He has shown what is coming upon the earth. He has revealed to us the judgements that have begun and are continuing with greater force and greater number. He has also revealed the condition of the hearts of many within the church and the fact that they are not good, nor are they godly, and yet they think they are fine and well and would argue that they only serve the one true God when in truth, their hearts are divided and their lives are filled with the doctrines of men, idolatry, and paganism. Possessing a form of godliness but denying the power that comes with it.2
     So much of what is coming does not require the intellect or the planning strategies of man, but it is fraught with the all surpassing need of daily putting on the spiritual armor and living in adherence to the Word of Yahuah.3 Yet if we are honest with ourselves, we must admit that we would rather spend our free time pursuing our own interests and hobbies, coveting our time as our own when it is not,4 rather than spending the time we have left searching the Scriptures and allowing it to do the work of purging us from our sin and refining us with the its eternal truths;5 all the while praying for ourselves, our families, and the lost. His fire burns within people like me 6 and there are no adjectives to describe the pain that comes when we try to bring His warning and people respond like teenagers on a Saturday morning who don't want to be awakened from their sleep. No matter what the response is, I cannot turn back from this calling and pretend as though He has not shown what He has shown.

     Take for example, how for months I have awakened to the sound of closing doors. All kinds of doors: interior, exterior, garage, car doors, trunks, industrial sized, you name it. I have also awakened to the sound of pounding on our front door. I look at our dog wondering why he doesn't stir from his sleep and realize that it is the Holy Spirit, desperate for people to awaken and see that there is no more time to live life as they see fit! The age of grace is passing away. People like me work now because there is approaching a time when no man will be able to work.7 This, this is why some of the posts you read from me sound firm or even harsh. The danger is real and evil is at our doors and we as a body are still saying, "Don't you judge me." If we would judge ourselves, we wouldn't have to be judged.8
     
     Given the title of this blog it may not come as a surprise to you that I am drawn to the story of Esther. I love the Book and have for decades admired her character. A young woman with no illusions of a kingdom, she nevertheless possessed the heart and dignity of a queen. She loved her people and was willing to die rather than to see them slaughtered. She possessed the kind of character that put not one but the fate of two nations above her own dreams, interests, and pleasures. The Great I AM knew what it would take to turn the heart of a king so she became not only His chosen queen but also His chosen messenger who called His people to fasting and prayer and through their individual repentance and reliance upon an Elohim they could not see,  He came in like a mighty wind and the plan of evil was circumvented and turned on its head.
     How much can the messengers and prophets of today change the course of coming events? Everything will play out exactly as YHVH has planned. The only changeable things in this story that I can see are the hearts and lives of men and their eternal home; and to the messengers and prophets, that is more than enough. Although our spoken words are sometimes hard to hear, if you could listen to our hearts you would know that we don't consider ourselves to be anything apart from Him. We are broken by our own sins and the sins of those around us. Our hearts have seen pieces of what is coming and they are crying out for you to wake up and die before the strong delusion comes that will carry you away.9 Do I think that believers can be so deceived? Take a long and serious look at the condition of the church in America and then ask yourself what you think.


Scriptures are taken from the ESV.

1) 11 For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you - 12 that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith, both yours and mine.
Romans 1:11-12

2) 1 But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. 2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, 4 treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.
2 Timothy 3:1-5

3) 10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.
16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one, 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God, 18a praying at all times in the Spirit, and with all prayer and supplication
Ephesians 6:10-13, 16-18a

4) 16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance, in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.
Psalm 139:16
12 So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.
Psalm 90:12
17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. 18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
James 1:17-18
24The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, 25 nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. 36 And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and boundaries of their dwelling place, 17 that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, 28 for "'In him we live and move and have our being'; as even some of your own poets have said, "'For we are indeed his offspring.'
Acts 17:24-28

5) 89 Forever, O Lord, your word is firmly fixed in the heavens
160 The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever.
Psalm 119:89 and 160
22 Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere, brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, 23 since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; 24 for "All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of the grass. The grass withers and the flower falls, 25 but the word of the Lord remains forever."
1 Peter 1:22-25

6) 9 If I say, 'I will not mention him, or speak anymore in his name,' there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot.
Jeremiah 20:9

7) 4 We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work.
John 9:4

8) 31 If we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. 32 But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world.
1 Corinthians 11:31-32  Please pray for discernment, but as for me, I think Paul could have had in mind more than communion when speaking these words.

9) 11 Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, 12 in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
2 Thessalonians 2:11-12