They are beginning to fall all around us, those who "had not a love of the truth".
The American lukewarm's inability to maintain a strong enough level of focus on the Father's solutions and hope has already begun to show it's results in serious ways as some of them sadly are beginning to fall apart.
Some of us however remain strong. Why the difference?
The more observant of the saved may have noticed that many in this fearful age are becoming more (and I hate to say it this way, but for lack of better wording...) "animal-like" in their growing drive to simply survive what they think is coming, and this is surely due in part to their conditioned "self-esteem" (pride) to not let others see that they otherwise need to humbly call upon their God, and so... in public they simply wont do so. They then thus willfully send themselves departing farther and farther from the gift of the Holy Spirit (via disobedience; Acts 5:32) and they thereby lose the most wonderful gift of the highest level of wisdom man was ever given by which to know our Creator. Without that gift we thereby do not have the capacity to trust in Him and rather find ourselves faltering where we feel that we must trust in our animal-like [natural man] instincts, and whatever supply of material resources that we can accumulate (as 'security blankets' of sorts).
Those of us who have done somewhat well in having focused more accurately on heeding the instructions of our Savior, are now also of course having difficulties here and there as well, but only in very brief and mild ways by comparison, and this usually because we, as the more purely-driven but yet human mortal, are being bombarded by an unbelievably large number of the carnally-focused people described above, and are unavoidably being influenced by those we see all around us who are claiming to be seriously walking in the faith but are yet (in reality) only the last ones of the "lukewarm" who have yet to outwardly begin to show their absence of a Holy Spirit. These are the folks that sometimes distract the more serious of us, or those who claim that they still have a faith in the One that will "save them" but they are only speaking in lip service at best. If they claim to be a "believer" then why do they bear so many fruits of being so unbelieving?
This is where a lot of the "weeping and gnashing of teeth" come into play that I preached about in last evening's Sabbath study, as the lukewarm are yet desperately trying to convince themselves that they are "saved" but yet they are only endlessly showing the world by their actions that they plan to survive this oncoming wrath by relying on their own resources (almost entirely if not entirely), and rather than putting their present energies and resources towards better things where they are more importantly needed right now, they are wasting things in very selfish ways and storing supplies up only for themselves, thereby trusting in themselves (and what they have "provided for themselves"), and not in the "Savior" that they had otherwise boastfully told the world who they were going to be "saved" by. And even if they are friendly or less than friendly where they might even be clearly disturbed about what is coming on the world, where you then ask these people if they are "saved" and they say, "yes", then perhaps its time to start asking, "by whom"? -Amen?
This is where the different types of folks (saved/unsaved) begin polarizing in my message here. The Father tells us in Zechariah 13:8,9 that we will all be separated into three parts. With one part being the super wicked who are oppressing us, that leaves two other parts, who will be left to fight against this oppression, even if just in their hearts and prayers. The first of these two are those who are fighting for the right to remain righteous, and the other (much larger group) will be fighting for the right to remain a little less evil than the super evil. Therefore, some folks are seeking the comforts and promise of a coming kingdom of Yeshua, and know that this wrath must come, where they are very content as Paul had written of his contentment in his many trying circumstances, and others are very fearful and in great anxiety due to their more powerful, natural man, animal-like character that still rules their hearts. In such anxiety with some of them, they are losing control of their emotions in many ways as this global chaos continues to build as if in a scene of a horrendously terrifying movie for them, and they are unable to remain civil and casual in their everyday chores and interactions with others, and often times are beginning to even panic.
Which ones then are "enduring to the end" as some of us rare few seem to be doing? The ones who are lashing out at those of us who are begging them to see how we got to where we are? Of course not, as they wouldn't be so angry if they too, had the same "peace that passeeth all understanding" as we do, agreed? No, as we spoke last night, they are "weeping (tearfully knowing that something is terribly wrong in their heart of hearts) and they are then resultantly also "Gnashing their teeth" at those who, out of love are only trying to help them pull themselves up by the bootstraps, as its clear that they don't really know how to Scripturally or Spiritually do that anymore due to the loss of their Holy Spirit. "What little they seemeth to have" has been taken away from them (Luke 8:18), and they (in a round about way) know this deep down (that something's missing in their hearts) and are getting increasingly frightened as these days draw darker. Yet not frightened enough to admit that YHWH has been calling them to repentance to His perfect instruction on how to get out of this time of terror.
At this point I would strongly suggest to anyone who is concerned for his own salvation that they might read Daniel chapters 4 and 5 and the specific key passage of 5:21. This is very comforting to those who have been lately feeling that their faith is dangling on a thread, as it shows how Father was even merciful to tough old Nebuchadnezzar in a very similar situation where there was a hardening of a heart (the loss of the Holy spirit, leaving the heart of natural man and his animal-like state as his only driving force).
We are here in this ministry, trying to show the last remaining faithful how to bolster one's remaining faith and Holy Spirit comfort in these trying times, and how not to "fall" with the multitudes as this gets worse, but one has to first be willing to realize and accept that he or she is not above YHWH in His literally "perfect" wisdom and instruction for us. Those whose pride is above Father's tiniest instruction, will almost certainly end up falling with all the rest, just as Nebuchadnezzar fell into a beast-like (animal-like) state in his prideful ways of thinking he was above YHWH.
Unlike the millions who are falling around us, Nebuchadnezzar wised up. Will our loved ones?
Will WE ... "endure to the end"?
For inspiration try these:
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Lastly, but definitely not least, the next time you are afraid to speak up about your Savior and His kigndom's better world for us in the check out line or at the local post office, because you fear rejection of being embarrassed, consider this video. My friends, I tell you, some of us will not be "enduring to the end" if we are ashamed of Him:
Now consider the story of Polycarp and compare it to what we are enduring today:
"Eighty-six years have I served him"
Warned that his arrest is impending, elderly Bishop Polycarp has left Smyrna and hidden in a farmhouse. The threat on his life is real; Smyrnans have recently executed several Christians for their faith. Now a pagan mob is demanding the bishop’s life. Smyrnans are fiercely loyal to Rome and to the old gods. “Kill the church leader,” they reason, “and his church will die.”
The governor dispatches soldiers to track down the old man, who has the distinction of being one of the last churchmen who actually studied at the feet of one of the Lord’s apostles—the long-lived John. The soldiers care nothing about this. Intent on locating him, they torture witnesses, who reveal Polycarp’s whereabouts. His hiding place betrayed, Polycarp moves to another. One must face martyrdom boldly when it comes, he believes, but no one should seek it. The authorities discover where he is hiding, and soldiers arrive to arrest him. He welcomes them as if they are old friends and asks that they be served food and drink, requesting only an hour to pray before being marched to the arena. They agree. Overhearing his godly prayers, the soldiers wonder why they are arresting him. Surely this is a good man! They allow the hour to stretch into two.
Finally, they can delay no longer. They haul Polycarp in. When he nears the city, a heathen magistrate approaches in a chariot and takes Polycarp into it. The magistrate tries to persuade the Christian to sacrifice to the gods, but finding that he can make no headway with him, pushes him out of the conveyance so roughly that he falls and scrapes open the flesh on his shin. Showing as little pain as possible, the elderly bishop limps behind the soldiers into the amphitheatre where great numbers of people are gathered.
At sight of him, the mob sets up loud cries of rage and savage delight, but Polycarp hears a voice telling him, “Be strong and play the man!” Consequently, he does not allow the spite of the crowd to trouble him. The governor asks him to deny Christ and promises that if he will, his life will be spared. But the faithful bishop answers, “Fourscore and six years have I served him, and he has never done me injury; how then can I now blaspheme my King and savior?”
When Polycarp rejects further pressures to deny Jesus and save himself, the governor threatens to burn him. Polycarp turns the tables and warns him of eternal fire. The governor ignores the warning and orders the execution to proceed. The soldiers prepare to nail Polycarp to the stake, but he assures them nails won‘t be needed, so he is tied instead. The fire is lit, and the flames rise around him. But what is this? The fire parts around Polycarp! It is as if the flames avoid him; eyewitnesses will claim his body glowed like gold in the fire. Finally a soldier, whose usual task is to put wounded animals out of their misery, executes the bishop with a sword. The good old man is dead, an inspiration to others who will perish in similar circumstances for centuries to come.
