THE URGENCY OF THE HOUR

Bear with me...this is long, but worth it...

I want to share with you two hearts today. Both about the urgency of the hour we are in. The first one is the testimony of my sister in the Lord, Wanda Baker. i love her and her heart for the Lord. The other is a prophecy of David Wilkerson, a voice of the Lord i have come to trust as i read his words with the Holy Spirit guiding me.

From Wanda:

When I was a child the big talk was The Thief In the Night movie and the Cross and the Switch Blade. During those times we would be warned to have our hearts right with the Lord for Jesus' return, nobody "knowing the day nor the hour". The messages that I heard in church and the Godly example that my Grandmother demonstrated to me compelled me to draw nigh to Him. I had a yearning to share the gospel with those that I met at school or came in contact with and rendered a deep compassion for the lost. At an early age, the desire for knowing more of His word was instilled in my heart. Grandma had a Godly love for all her grandchildren and trained us all in the fear and admonition of the Lord. She taught me the importance of reading the Bible, praying, sharing the gospel and letting your light so shine before all men.(Matthew 5:14-16). My Grandma became very ill and was in the hospital in a coma. Ed, Emily and I made a trip to visit her. When we walked into the room she came too. We shared our last memories with her singing Jesus Loves Me. She repeated her favourite Bible verse with us..."In all thy ways acknowledge Him and he shall direct thy paths" Proverbs 3:6. A few hours later the Lord called her home.

Almost six months later my Grandfather on my Dad's side was on His death bed. Emily and I decided to make a visit to see him. He was diagnosed with prostate and bone cancer. You see he lived a good life, knew all about the Bible, taught Sunday school, believed in God but did not believe God. In all the years Grandpa was alive, I never once heard him emphasize his relationship with the Lord and there were things in his life showed that he may have lived a life with a double standard, unpleasing to the Lord . There was an urgency put on my heart to talk to him about the Lord. When I went to visit him we spoke of his pain. He said, "Wanda, the only way that I can get thru this pain is by the assurance of my salvation." His Pastor had paid him a visit and he had given it all over to the Lord. Praise the Lord. Then he asked me, "What are you going to do with your life?" "Grandpa," I said, "I feel that the Lord is telling us to get our house in order, maybe to prepare us for missions." Then he firmly responded with, "Wanda, make sure you are following God's leading and you're not Leading God!" Those were words of wisdom that I will never forget. WE ended our visit with prayer. That was something we had never done before. I prayed that he would be pain free and the Lord took Him home later that night.

Another amazing thing that happened in my life was to see my Grandfather on my mother's side come to know the Lord. For many years I shared, my faith with him we were bosom buddies and did many things together. While attending Bible College I would send him letters telling him how to come to know the Lord in a personal way. The only time that I would hear him speak God's name was while taking it in vain. One day while visiting him, I noticed a brown envelope on the table, all of the letters that I had written him had strewn out of the envelope across the table. It was then that I realized that he was reading the letters that were faithfully mailed to him. One day I received a phone call. Grandpa was on His death bed. My cousin had led him to the Lord, Praise the Lord! We went to see him but did not know how he was going to respond for he was in a coma. I arrived at the hospital with Nicholas our 5 year old son and my great aunt accompanying me. Nicholas repeated Psalm 23 to him, then I heard Grandpa say "Thank you Jesus, Thank you Jesus, Thank you Jesus." We left for awhile and when we returned he was gone ready to be with Jesus. A few years later family members pulled out his treasure box at a family picnic. In the box was a tract. I recognized it as being one I had sent him in a letter. The family all opened it up and read it wondering what it was. I never said anything just thanked the Lord for allowing the seed that was once planted in my grandpa's life to be continued on to the rest of the family.

Now you may be wondering why I have sent you this email which gives you three examples of three different people who played a special part in my life. One lived a life of an evangelist spreading the gospel and letting her light shine always taking the narrow gate approach(Matthew 7:13). One had the form of godliness but denied the power thereof and the other denied Christ. All had happy endings and all were able to minister to myself as there life was coming to an end. Two may have had unhappy endings had someone not been obedient and shared the gospel or spoke the truth. Lately my heart has been heavy laden for the lost and those who are lukewarm. I cannot hardly speak about the lost without weeping. The time is getting short and I feel the Lord showing many that there is an urgency to reach the lost as the last days are quickly approaching. I hope that this email will inspire and encourage you to share the gospel as the Holy Spirit leads like you never have done before.


From David Wilkerson:

An Urgent Message

An Earth-Shattering Calamity Is About To Happen

by David Wilkerson

March 7, 2009

I am compelled by the Holy Spirit to send out an urgent message to all on our mailing list, and to friends and to bishops we have met all over the world.

AN EARTH-SHATTERING CALAMITY IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN. IT IS GOING TO BE SO FRIGHTENING, WE ARE ALL GOING TO TREMBLE — EVEN THE GODLIEST AMONG US.

For ten years I have been warning about a thousand fires coming to New York City. It will engulf the whole megaplex, including areas of New Jersey and Connecticut. Major cities all across America will experience riots and blazing fires — such as we saw in Watts, Los Angeles, years ago.

There will be riots and fires in cities worldwide. There will be looting — including Times Square, New York City. What we are experiencing now is not a recession, not even a depression. We are under God’s wrath. In Psalm 11 it is written,

“If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” (v. 3).

God is judging the raging sins of America and the nations. He is destroying the secular foundations.

The prophet Jeremiah pleaded with wicked Israel, “God is fashioning a calamity against you and devising a plan against you. Oh, turn back each of you from your evil way, and reform your ways and deeds. But they will say, It’s hopeless! For we are going to follow our own plans, and each of us will act according to the stubbornness of his evil heart” (Jeremiah 18:11–12).

In Psalm 11:6, David warns, “Upon the wicked he will rain snares (coals of fire)…fire…burning wind…will be the portion of their cup.” Why? David answered, “Because the Lord is righteous” (v. 7). This is a righteous judgment — just as in the judgments of Sodom and in Noah’s generation.

WHAT SHALL THE RIGHTEOUS DO? WHAT ABOUT GOD’S PEOPLE?

First, I give you a practical word I received for my own direction. If possible lay in store a thirty-day supply of non-perishable food, toiletries and other essentials. In major cities, grocery stores are emptied in an hour at the sign of an impending disaster.

As for our spiritual reaction, we have but two options. This is outlined in Psalm 11. We “flee like a bird to a mountain.” Or, as David says, “He fixed his eyes on the Lord on his throne in heaven — his eyes beholding, his eyelids testing the sons of men” (v. 4). “In the Lord I take refuge” (v. 1).

I will say to my soul: No need to run…no need to hide. This is God’s righteous work. I will behold our Lord on his throne, with his eye of tender, loving kindness watching over every step I take — trusting that he will deliver his people even through floods, fires, calamities, tests, trials of all kinds.

Note: I do not know when these things will come to pass, but I know it is not far off. I have unburdened my soul to you. Do with the message as you choose.

God bless and keep you.

In Christ,
DAVID WILKERSON

Now, my message...

As i sit here in Florida, i think back to my life before the urgency of this hour broke my heart. It was a day in June in 2006. i met someone with the message of the cross. This day would be the day my world and life would be turned upside down. The day my heart would be changed forever for the Lord. This day my heart truly understood the urgency of the hour. The reality of why we are here, why we have the mission we have, and what am i going to do about it really hit my heart. The Jews of Jesus day had to reject Jesus for us to be made ambassadors for Christ. To seek him in prayer, fasting, and the Word, to seek and to save that which was lost, to edify and equip the body to do the same. In 2000 plus years since Jesus walked this earth, but a remnant have taken this mission seriously. Will it take the calamity that Pastor Dave is talking about to wake up the Nation? Or will the calamity fill us with fear and a run and hide mentality? Or will we arm ourselves with weapons of murder like a 38 pistol or 45 revolver? That seems to be the answer for some so called Christians i know.

Today i am not going to quote scripture. Today i am going to say that if you are not ready then you better search your heart long and hard and see whom you are serving. Why is your heart not broken for the lost? Which worldly thing do you put on the throne before God? If you are serving the World and by default, Satan, then so be it. Do not complain or blame God when the world you serve blows up in front of you and you see family and friends dying of murder, sickness and disease. These are the consequences of mans sin, his arrogance and self adoration. God said he would not be mocked, what you sow you shall reap. How long did you think we could live lives of lust for anything and everything and put it above God? We serve a righteous and holy God, if you choose the world then the consequence will be severe. The choice is up to you.

For many years, before i was awakened to the urgency of this hour, i have been a prayer warrior. i believe it was my Nonni that showed me the example of the power of prayer. But i now know that in my relationship with God, prayer and fasting are a must, no exceptions, if my relationship in our God is to deepen, if i am to hear and share his words with each lost person i meet, if i am to trust Him and not fear anything the world throws at me, if i am to edify and equip the body to go to the lost, then prayer and fasting are a must.

The time is at hand when it will be GAME OVER. No more chances to get it right, the Holy Righteous God i serve will separate the sheep to His kingdom and the goats to Hell. The day is coming..are you ready???