Showing posts with label rapture. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rapture. Show all posts

Thursday, August 28, 2025

How to Prepare for the Rapture

I recently posted a few articles on my Signs of the Times blog about the prophetic indications, regarding the soon return of Christ, particularly those saying it could be in September. I would encourage you to please check those out, namely the following: Many Revelations Concerning September 2025 Rapture, No Man Knows The Day or the Hour - Feast of Trumpets, and Jacob's Trouble About to Be Fulfilled. In the first one, please be sure to view the videos, the comments section I have written into the article, and the Bonus Features section I added after I posted the article, which is a new section immediately following my conclusion at the end of the article.

You may be wondering how you can prepare for the rapture. That's good, because Jesus said, "So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him." (Mat 24:44). Therefore, I would like to share with you some advice about that to help you to be ready.

The first step is to repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. At the end of this article, and all my articles, I have a link you can tap to read about how you can come to know Jesus. It's at the very bottom of all my articles, where it says, "Do You Want to Know Him?" Don't put that off another day, because today is the day of salvation, now is the time of God's favor, and you may not have tomorrow. God's mercy is available only while you are still on the earth.

Now assuming you have already done that, and you have been saved -- born again, as Jesus said we must do in order to see the kingdom of God (Jn 3:3), you must continue to prepare yourself. The reason you must prepare is that there is a great apostasy that has occurred in the Church during this time before the rapture, which was predicted in the Word by the Lord and His apostles (Mt 24:12; 2 Thes 2:3; 1 Tim 4:1; 2 Tim 3:1-5). False Christianity is the most common and popular kind found in the churches around the world. Most of the Body of Christ is not ready for the rapture, which is why very few will hear the trumpet sound and go up in the rapture when Jesus comes.

I would take the following verses and turn them into prayers for yourself, your family, and your friends:

The Scripture says, "May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones." (1 Thes 3.13.)

Pray: "Lord strengthen our hearts so that we will be blameless and holy in your presence at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His holy ones."

Jesus said, "Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.” Lk 21.36

Pray: "Lord help us to escape all this about to happen and to be able to stand before the Son of Man when He comes."

Jesus said, “Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn." Mk 13.35.

Therefore, do what He said by watching for the rapture. 

I also strongly recommend you pray this Covenant Prayer from your heart.

You should also pray, “Lord, show me what I should repent of, and how I should prepare for the rapture, so that I don't get left behind.”

Ask the Heavenly Father in the name of Jesus to baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire, as promised in His Word. And if you have already received the baptism with the Holy Spirit, as well as the associated baptism with holy fire, then continue daily to ask for more, since the Scripture tells us to constantly be filled with the Spirit (Eph 5:18) and not to put out the Spirit's fire (1 Thes 5:19, NIV 1984), but to be hot for Jesus (Rev 3:15-16). Keep your extra flask full of oil from the Holy Spirit each day, so that you can be like one of the five wise virgins, as I shared in my sermon on Advance Preparations for the Bride of Christ. You can watch me share that on video at the link I just provided.

Ask the Lord to do whatever it takes to make you ready for the rapture. Ask him to purge and sanctify you through and through -- spirit , soul, and body. Forsake all compromise with the world, with the flesh, with the devil. As it says in Revelation regarding Babylon, "'Come out of her, my people,' so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues; for her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes." (Rev 18:4b-5). Arrange your life so that you can spend more time in prayer, seeking the Lord, warning others, and preparing yourself, being sure to keep Sunday's holy according to the Commandment written in his Word. And remember to pass the blessing along to others by sharing this article with them. I hope to see you very, very soon with the Lord in the air!

Attribution notice: Image courtesy of West Marion Baptist Church per Fair Use Act for commentary and educational purposes only, and it may be subject to copyright. All Scriptures are taken from the New International Version (NIV1984), copyright Zondervan, used by permission, all rights reserved.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also enjoy The Apostasy (False Christianity) Before the Rapture of the ChurchWarning Dream: The Tribulation Follows Rapture, Left-Behind Christians HuntedSins That Will Keep You From HeavenDrifting AwayIs Obedience Optional?The Apostasy ParablesHoly Living in a Perverted WorldAim for PerfectionWalking in the Perfect Will of GodThe Straight and Narrow PathStriving to Enter the Kingdom of GodAsk for the Ancient PathsLiving a Life Worthy of the LordSeparation from the WorldThe Difference Between a Disciple and a Believer, and Doing What is Right. You can find more of my articles related to Seeking the Lord on the Home page of this blog. You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master." Now I'd like to ask a very important question.


Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org

Thursday, March 20, 2025

The Apostasy (False Christianity) Before the Rapture of the Church

Dear Saints,

Those of you who've been following me, Len Lacroix, for a while now know that I preach a true message of righteousness, holiness, and obedience to Christ. But this message is still not accepted by most believers in America. It's viewed as a false gospel by many. You know that I teach that you must be born again and receive the Holy Spirit. I teach that the Lord promised to baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire (Mt 3:11; Lk 3:16; 11:13; 12:49; 24:49; Ac 1:5,8; 2:4,38; Jn 7:38; 20:22; Eph 5:18).

I've also written many articles on the rapture and the need to be ready for it, and I've tried my best to warn you of the Great Tribulation that is set to begin at any time now. But we are living in the days of the apostate Church, people who have embraced worldliness, disobedience to their parents, idolatry, false doctrine, and rebellion. This is because most churches in America preach the false gospel of Once-Saved-Always-Saved or Eternal Security. They teach that nothing you do, no sin you commit, could ever affect your relationship with the Lord and your eternal destination, once you are truly saved.

Paul warned us this would happen. He said:

"But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God–having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them." (2 Tim 3:1-5).

Paul  warned that before the Lord comes and His saints are gathered to Him, there must first be an apostasy and rebellion. he said: 
 
"Don't let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction." (2 Thes 2:3).

I would like to share with you an excellent, short message that a Mexican preacher, named Francisco, shared, which is a great example of true, gospel preaching that you rarely hear any more these days in America. You can either watch it on his Youtube channel here at this link, or you can watch it inside this blogpost below:



Attribution notice: All Scriptures are taken from the New International Version (NIV1984), copyright Zondervan, used by permission, all rights reserved.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also enjoy Warning Dream: The Tribulation Follows Rapture, Left-Behind Christians Hunted, How to Prepare for the RaptureSins That Will Keep You From HeavenDrifting AwayIs Obedience Optional?The Apostasy ParablesHoly Living in a Perverted WorldAim for PerfectionWalking in the Perfect Will of GodThe Straight and Narrow PathStriving to Enter the Kingdom of GodAsk for the Ancient PathsLiving a Life Worthy of the LordSeparation from the WorldThe Difference Between a Disciple and a Believer, and Doing What is Right. You can find more of my articles related to Seeking the Lord on the Home page of this blog. You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master." Now I'd like to ask a very important question.


Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org

Friday, September 13, 2013

The Three Elijahs

Elijah Oil Painting by Boris Vallejo
Today I’d like to look at three "Elijah" prophets in Scripture.  You probably knew there was at least one Hebrew prophet Elijah, who lived on the earth and served God during the reign of King Ahab.  He is the Elijah whom the three disciples saw with Moses there on the Mount of Transfiguration, talking with Jesus (Mt 17:3).  In addition, many of you are aware that a second Elijah has already come.  But I want to show you that there is still another Elijah.

“And He [Jesus] answered and said, ‘Elijah is coming and will restore all things; but I say to you that Elijah already came, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they wished. So also the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.’ Then the disciples understood that He had spoken to them about John the Baptist.”  (Mat 17:11-13)

Note that Jesus said, “Elijah already came,” and “Elijah is coming.”  By this He showed that there are two prophets.  In addition to the original prophet Elijah, there are two prophets who come in the spirit of Elijah, but do not necessarily have his name.  He acknowledged that Elijah had come, which the disciples understood that He meant John the Baptist, who came in the spirit and power of Elijah (see Lk 1:17).  But He also said, “Elijah is coming and will restore all things.”  Since Herod had already beheaded John the Baptist (Mt 14:8), who did Jesus mean when He said that Elijah is coming to restore all things?

This is what the prophet Malachi spoke of when he said, “Behold, I am going to send My messenger, and he will clear the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple; and the messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight, behold, He is coming,’ says the LORD of hosts.” (Mal 3:1).  This is a double prophecy, referring to both the first and second coming of Jesus Christ.  There is yet to come in the spirit of Elijah a prophet who will prepare the way for the Lord before He returns.

Malachi prophesied for the Lord: "Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the LORD. He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land with a curse." (Mal 4:5-6).  That was the end of Malachi's book of prophecy and the final portion of Scripture written before Christ.  I believe this final Elijah will restore the hearts of God’s children to the Heavenly Father before Jesus come.

I believe that just as the first Elijah had a holy fire ministry, as did John the Baptist, so will the final Elijah have such a ministry.  Elijah called down holy fire upon the sacrifice on top of Mt Carmel (1Ki 18:37-38), when  he prayed, “'Answer me, O LORD, answer me, that this people may know that You, O LORD, are God, and that You have turned their heart back again.' Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench." Later on another occasion, he also called down fire upon the captains and their fifties (2 King 1:10).

John the Baptist was a fiery preacher like that, who said, "The axe is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." (Mat 3:10-12)

So we know that the final Elijah will also have a holy fire ministry.  Just take a look at the coming ministry of the two, last-days witnesses in Revelation. “And if anyone wants to harm them, fire flows out of their mouth and devours their enemies; so if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this way.” (Rev 11:5). 

As we look at the prophets Elijah and John the Baptist, we can see that the only people who were hurt by them were the wicked and the ungodly.  The poor, the humble, and those who repented of their sin were not harmed in any way.  The same can be said of the last-days witnesses.  The only people who will be harmed are the ones who want to harm them.

My wife and I have pondered whether there will be just two such witnesses, or a whole company of people who will move in the spirit and power of Elijah.  We tend to believe that while these two witnesses in Revelation 11 will operate in Jerusalem, there will be many others operating like that around the world.

An Important "After-Word"
I originally posted this article on September 13, 2013, when the Lord gave me this message.  However, today on October 30, 2013, I received further revelation, as I read the book of Revelation.  I had just read the verse that says, "Then I looked, and I heard an eagle flying in midheaven, saying with a loud voice, 'Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!'" (Rev 8:13)

And having read that verse, I was actually looking for a prophetic word that John Paul Jackson once received and shared in an interview with Sid Roth, in which he said that 2012 would be a year of woes. However, the Lord led me to the following video recording of an interview between Paul Keith Davis and Terry Bennett, a prophet of the Lord.

Amazingly, this interview was conducted on September 3, 2013, and covers the same subject that I have covered in this article.  They discussed the coming days along with the subject of Elijah and the Bride of Christ.

From 4:00 to 5:10 in the video, Terry Bennett mentions that Elijah has appeared to him in person on numerous occasions.  At 7:45 he says that in at least one instance, Elijah appeared to him with the Lord and the angel Gabriel.  He was told that the Bride must be made ready for the Lamb, and that Elijah is being released.  This means the actual, original prophet Elijah is being released by the Lord to carry out his end time ministry.  In a recent conference, brother Terry said he has seen Elijah return to earth in a chariot of fire. This explains why he has been appearing to brother Terry and others.

Brother Terry was also told by Gabriel that the time for the release of the Spirit and power of Elijah has arrived.  It was explained to him that this Spirit and power will be upon a worldwide company of men and women, whom God has invited to operate in the Spirit and power of Elijah.

He said that God's invitation to be the Bride extends to all, but it requires total consecration. As James says, the double-minded man must not expect to receive anything from the Lord.  Note that the Scripture says the Bride must make herself ready, and one primary reason the Holy Spirit has been given to the Church is to enable this.  "Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready." (Rev 19:7)

The ministry that will occur in connection with the the Spirit and power of Elijah, and the Bride making herself ready will be a very atypical (unusual) time for the Church in most arenas.   This is not going to look like business as usual in the Church. 

The Lord did give a warning to brother Terry that this ministry is not about drawing attention to Elijah or any man.  There must be great humility in all of this, just as Elijah had during his original ministry.  The Lord said that if the message is not about pointing people to the Lamb who is coming, it's going to be judged. The message must direct people to the Lord. 

Brother Paul Keith said at around 16:00 in the video that he believes it's not OK not to believe the Word regarding fullness.  I agree completely.  Some have rejected what the Word says about fullness in Christ, which includes healing and holiness, as well as the baptism with the Holy Spirit and with fire.  The Lord paid a great price at Calvary to make these possible, and it's not OK with Him if people reject these.

This all reminded me of what brother Neville Johnson said in a conference I attended exactly one year ago, on October 31, 2012 in Sheffield, England.  He said that on June 22, 2012, the Lord woke him at 3:00 AM.  He started to pray. Suddenly, people came into his room. It was the Lord and other people -- Elijah and Moses.

The Lord said to Neville, “The day has now come when you will see great anointings come to the earth. Tell my people they are the sent ones to this generation. I am about to release my true apostolic anointing. Many angels are about to come to the earth. They will come and bring this anointing.” Truth will come like never before.

The prophet Elijah said to Neville, “The Spirit that was upon me when I was on the earth will be upon men once again, and He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land with a curse."  He quoted Malachi 4:6 about this. The church is to reveal the heart of the Father to this generation and show them what God is like." He spoke about redemptive judgments coming to the earth. When God’s judgments are in the earth it will bring righteousness.

God showed him some of the terrible things coming to the earth, and Neville emphasized that we must be there to tell people why they are happening.  Neville said the foundations have been eroded: holiness and the baptism of fire. When a person is baptized in fire, there is an absolute change in their life. The old is burned right out. They need a baptism of Holy Spirit and fire. This is exactly the same message the Lord has been speaking to me and my wife, and which I have been preaching, so this bears witness to my spirit.

I would like to encourage you to watch the Paul Keith Davis and Terry Bennett interview at this link.

Putting it All Together
My friends, it’s time to seek the Lord. Consecrate yourself wholeheartedly to Him. Let the holy, Refiner's fire do its perfect work in you.  Ask the Lord to purify you from everything that will not pass through the fire as purely from Him.  Love the fire of God!  Ask the Lord to baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire, as John the Baptist said He would do (Mt 3:8).

If there is anything in your life that is not right with God, get it right with Him.  Clear the way for the Lord, because He is about to return in the glory of His Father with His angels, and he is coming for a Bride without spot or wrinkle.  He will reward every person for his own deeds (Mt 16:27).  Without holiness no one will see the Lord (Heb 12:14)

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Boris Vallejo Elijah Oil Painting Original Art (1981). Boris Vallejo presents this stunning vision of Elijah, the prophet of Israel during the ninth century B. C.

Author's note I invite you to also read these related articles of mine: Holy Fire Baptism, The Burning Ones, Baptized by Blazing Fire, The Refiner's Fire, Only the Holy -- Three Shocking Testimonies, The Fiery Sufferings of the Believer, Healing is in the Atonement, Covenant Prayer, Baptized with the Spirit, and Your Rewards Are Based on Your Practice. You can also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"
_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Monday, June 11, 2012

The End Has Come

I know that people don’t like to hear doom and gloom.  They want to hear messages that comfort them.  But the Word of God contains warnings of gloom and doom for the wicked. There is only one solution – only one remedy that will bring comfort -- if we don’t want to experience the gloom and doom in those warnings, and that is to repent. So if you are afraid of these messages, then examine your heart, and repent before the Lord.  Don’t look at any sin as being small.  They are all great in God’s sight and if you continue in them, they will land you in hell.  Only the righteous will be spared.  The Lord spoke to me recently through the following verses in Ezekiel:

The end has come!
The Lord is saying, "The end has come! The end is now upon you."  Here is the passage:

“‘The end! The end has come upon the four corners of the land! The end is now upon you, and I will unleash my anger against you. I will judge you according to your conduct and repay you for all your detestable practices. I will not look on you with pity; I will not spare you. I will surely repay you for your conduct and for the detestable practices among you. Then you will know that I am the Lord."

“This is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘Disaster! Unheard-of disaster! See, it comes! The end has come! The end has come! It has roused itself against you. See, it comes! Doom has come upon you, upon you who dwell in the land. The time has come! The day is near! There is panic, not joy, on the mountains. I am about to pour out my wrath on you and spend my anger against you. I will judge you according to your conduct and repay you for all your detestable practices. I will not look on you with pity; I will not spare you. I will repay you for your conduct and for the detestable practices among you. Then you will know that it is I the Lord who strikes you.'"  (Ezekiel 7:2-9)

This was the warning given then to Israel, the people of God.  And it applies just as much today to the Church, God's people.

We need to realize that the Lord Jesus is coming back right away.  In 2009, He said to Angelica Zambrano,  "I am no longer at the door; I am beyond the door.  I will come soon; My coming is near.  My people have left Me and gone back to worldly things...Tell My people to return to the old paths."

The apostle Peter said the same thing, "The end of all things is near; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer." (1Pe 4:7)

Silver and Gold in the Streets
People will throw silver and gold into the streets.


“‘They will throw their silver into the streets, and their gold will be treated as a thing unclean. Their silver and gold will not be able to deliver them in the day of the Lord’s wrath. It will not satisfy their hunger or fill their stomachs, for it has caused them to stumble into sin." (Ezek 7:19)

Gold will be considered an unclean thing.  So if you're putting your trust in gold, silver, or other precious metals, you need to know which direction that's headed in. The Word makes it clear that it's not a good direction.

Wicked Abominations in the Church
The Lord showed Ezekiel some things that shocked him. There were wicked abominations committed in the temple.  The elders were guilty of these things!

He said to me, "Son of man, now dig through the wall." So I dug through the wall, and behold, an entrance. And He said to me, "Go in and see the wicked abominations that they are committing here." So I entered and looked, and behold, every form of creeping things and beasts and detestable things, with all the idols of the house of Israel, were carved on the wall all around. Standing in front of them were seventy elders of the house of Israel, with Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan standing among them, each man with his censer in his hand and the fragrance of the cloud of incense rising. (Eze 8:8-11)

It's sad to say, but today in the Church, there are wicked abominations being committed by those who profess to be Christians, even elders and pastors! That should bother you.  If it doesn't, you're in a dangerous place.

Grieve and lament
We need to grieve and lament over the detestable things done in the church. Begin with yourself and your own sins, and then cry out to God concerning the sins of others.

Ezekiel said, "Now the glory of the God of Israel went up from above the cherubim, where it had been, and moved to the threshold of the temple. Then the Lord called to the man clothed in linen who had the writing kit at his side and said to him, 'Go throughout the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament over all the detestable things that are done in it.' As I listened, he said to the others, 'Follow him through the city and kill, without showing pity or compassion. Slaughter the old men, the young men and women, the mothers and children, but do not touch anyone who has the mark. Begin at my sanctuary.' So they began with the old men who were in front of the temple." (Ezek 9:3-6)

The "men" in this passage are angels.  One man has a writing kit with which to place a mark on the Lord's people who grieve and lament over these abominations.  And the other men have deadly weapons to kill all those who profess to be people of God, but do not have this mark.  And the Lord has instructed the angels to take no pity on the people without the mark.  They are to show no compassion.

The Lord has determined to pour out wrath.  It's coming and all who are walking in sin in the Church will be struck by it.  Judgment must first begin with the house of God (1 Pet 4:17).

Holy Fire
We need to love the fire of the Holy Spirit and desire it in our lives, so that we may be purified by it.  The Lord is sending His fire to the Church now to purge us of all that will not pass through the fire as purely from Him.

When the Lord commanded the man in linen, “Take fire from among the wheels, from among the cherubim,” the man went in and stood beside a wheel. Then one of the cherubim reached out his hand to the fire that was among them. He took up some of it and put it into the hands of the man in linen, who took it and went out. (Under the wings of the cherubim could be seen what looked like human hands.) Ezekiel 10:6-8

I encourage you to read more about the fire of the Holy Spirit in my blog on this topic (see here).

Worldly Standards
The people of God conform to worldly standards today, just as in the days of Ezekiel.

"Thus you will know that I am the LORD; for you have not walked in My statutes nor have you executed My ordinances, but have acted according to the ordinances of the nations around you."'" Ezekiel 11:12

There are still those who walk in obedience to the Lord, obeying His commandments as Jesus taught us to do.  But many in the Church today copy the behavior of the world, and conform themselves to those standards, rather than God's Word.

It will not be delayed any more
The prophet Ezekiel had to deal with an attitude among the people of God.  While they may have believed he had the word of the Lord, they thought it was for the distant future.

The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, the Israelites are saying, ‘The vision he sees is for many years from now, and he prophesies about the distant future.’ Therefore say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: None of my words will be delayed any longer; whatever I say will be fulfilled, declares the Sovereign Lord.’”  Ezekiel 12:26-28

The same is true today.  There are those who say that this message in this blog is not a "now" word for today.  There is still plenty of time, and the Lord is delaying His coming.  But the Lord says that none of His words will be delayed any longer.

Angelica Zambrano
A young lady from Ecuador, named Angelica Zambrano, had a visit to heaven and hell in 2009.  While in Heaven, Jesus said to her, "I will come for a holy people and I will come soon for My church."  But later, following her return to earth, the Lord told her, "Daughter, I take pleasure in what you are doing, that you are fulfilling what I have given you, but do not tell My people that I am coming soon.  Tell My people that I am coming right away." Again the Lord said, "Tell My people that I am coming right away and that I am coming for a holy people.  Tell My people that only the holy ones, only the holy ones will see Me!...And do not be silent: Keep on declaring what I have told you."

The Lord allowed her to see what the early Church was like, so she could see the stark contrast with the current state of the Church.  He pointed with His finger and said, "Daughter, look, they praise Me; they worship Me!  My people no longer do as they did before.  My people no longer praise, no longer worship Me; no longer seek Me as before.  That is why I told you, Daughter, to go and tell My people to seek Me, for I will go, I will go, I will go - for a people that seeks Me in spirit and in truth, for a people that are ready, for a holy people!" And weeping He said, “I am coming, I am coming!"  Angelica said, "Then I understand why He was weeping, because He is coming, but not for those that are half-hearted.  He will return only for a people that is seeking Him in spirit and in truth."

This is consistent with what the Lord has been saying through many other people, who have seen the Lord, had visions, been to heaven, and been to hell. This is definitely a now word, if there ever was one!

Warning to the false prophets
Just as there were false prophets in Ezekiel's day, there are such people today in the Church.

The Lord gave a warning: “Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who are now prophesying. Say to those who prophesy out of their own imagination: ‘Hear the word of the Lord! This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing!" (Ezek 13:2-3)

The Lord is still speaking through His holy prophets on the earth today.  But many of these prophets are no-name, unheard-of, little people of no account.  And most of the big, important people in the Church are not listening to them.  Instead they listen to the big-name prophets, who are recognized and who have their own ministry, website, or television program.

Be careful, people!  If the devil wants to take out a lot of people, what is easier -- for him to go after a single sheep or a leader?  Obviously it is easier to take out a leader.  If he can compromise a well-known prophet that people trust as a reliable voice for the Lord, then he can use that person to deceive many people.  Test every prophecy.  These famous prophets with big ministries are under pressure to hold back negative words, because people don't like to hear such things.  This could affect the prophet's ministry support.  Not all prophets are affected by this financial pressure, but I'm sure some are.  They are human and subject to these common temptations, especially in a day of financial crisis.  So if they give words from their own imagination, which the Lord is not speaking, it may sound like a bright future lies ahead.  But that's not what the Lord is saying, my friend

“Peace” when there is no peace
The false prophets say, “Peace” when there is no peace. But for a few years now, the Lord has been consistently warning us of impending judgment and His soon return.

The Lord says, "My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and utter lying divinations. They will not belong to the council of my people or be listed in the records of Israel, nor will they enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Sovereign Lord. Because they lead my people astray, saying, 'Peace,' when there is no peace, and because, when a flimsy wall is built, they cover it with whitewash."(Ezek 13:9-10)

The Lord goes on to say, "Her prophets whitewash these deeds for them by false visions and lying divinations. They say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says’—when the Lord has not spoken."

A true watchman is supposed to warn the people.  If the wall is weak in a certain place, the watchman should instruct the people to fortify it, so that the enemy will not be able to break through that weak spot during a future attack.  But a false watchman will simply put a fresh coat of paint on the wall to make it look good.  This is what some prophets do today.  They give a word that makes it seem as though the Church is in good condition, and they cover over the dangerously flimsy sections of the wall.  They cover over and beautify the sins of men. And they do so as if the Lord has spoken through them, when in fact He has not spoken. Beware of those who say there will be peace and prosperity, because that's not what the Lord is saying

When a righteous person has gotten into sin, and hears the message of peace and prosperity from these false prophets, he is encouraged not to turn from his sin.  He thinks that all will be well.  When the righteous person who is living right hears such words, they discourage him from continuing to walk this way.  He may be tempted to think, "What's the use!  Why bother?  I see all the wickedness around me in the Church, but the Lord doesn't seem to care.  He is going to bless us with peace and prosperity anyway!"

Don't be led astray by these lies uttered by false prophets.  There is no peace outside of a truly righteous life in Christ.

Idols in their hearts
The Lord showed Ezekiel that the elders had set up idols in their hearts.  He said, “Son of man, these men have set up idols in their hearts and put wicked stumbling blocks before their faces. Should I let them inquire of me at all?" (Ezek 14:3)

Brother John Mulinde

The same is true today.  There are elders, pastors, prophets, and others in places of influence in the Church, who have set up idols in their hearts.  I'm sure these people may say, "I have no idols in my life!  I have never bowed down to a statue or any kind of image.  I worship God alone."  But they have set up idols in their hearts.  This is what happened to brother John Mulinde, who was a famous pastor in Uganda with a successful ministry.  The Lord showed him that he had idols in his heart, which he didn't even realize were there.  I encourage you to listen to his whole testimony, which will surely change your life! (see here).

No Holiness
The Lord went on to tell Ezekiel, "Her priests do violence to my law and profane my holy things; they do not distinguish between the holy and the common; they teach that there is no difference between the unclean and the clean; and they shut their eyes to the keeping of my Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them." (Ezek 22:26).

Again, this is true today, not only of Christian priests, but pastors and elders in the church.  They don't distinguish between that which is holy and the common.  This is true of music, clothing, videos and various other forms of art and entertainment, just to name a few.  The Lord says there is a difference.  But when we do not act like it and we teach that there is no difference, the Holy Spirit is grieved. For more on this, please see "Holy Living in a Perverted World" and "Garments of Godliness."

And the same priests and pastors shut their eyes to keeping the Lord's Day holy.  They mix common activities in with holy ones on Sundays, including spending money, working, and playing games.  They don't teach people how to properly keep Sundays holy.  The Lord says He is profaned by this, which means He is treated with irreverence. For more on this, see "Keeping Sundays Holy."

Arrogant, Overfed, and Unconcerned
Listen to the charges God made against unfaithful Israel.

“‘Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy. They were haughty and did detestable things before me. Therefore I did away with them as you have seen."  (Ezek 16:49-50)

Israel would never consider Sodom to be her sister, but the Lord said she was indeed related.  And the Lord named the sins of Sodom.  We all know Sodom was filled with homosexuality -- a sin which God still hates (Rom 1:24-28; 1 Cor 6:9).  But here the Lord singles out the sins of Sodom: They were arrogant, overfed, unconcerned, not helping the poor and needy.  They were haughty and did detestable things. That's why He did away with them. He said that unfaithful Israel had more corruptly in her conduct than Sodom and her daughters (Ez 16:47-48).

The same is true today in the Church.  The Lord is grieved at what He sees.  His Church is dirty. I encourage you to watch the testimony of a sister from Cameroon, named Claire Andoun.  The Lord showed her that His Church is dirty (see here).

Many professing Christians today are arrogant, overfed, and unconcerned, not helping the poor and needy. They are haughty and do detestable things. The only solution is to repent.

The righteous may perish, the wicked may be saved
I know that some people do not believe a righteous person can perish.  But it does happen when a righteous person continues in sin.  For more on this, please read my post on "Drifting Away." (see here).

Here is what the Lord told Ezekiel: "If a righteous person turns from their righteousness and commits sin, they will die for it; because of the sin they have committed they will die. But if a wicked person turns away from the wickedness they have committed and does what is just and right, they will save their life. Because they consider all the offenses they have committed and turn away from them, that person will surely live; they will not die." Ezekiel 18:26-28

The Lord told Ezekiel that he MUST warn the people.  If he did not warn them, then their blood would be upon his hands.  When the apostle Paul finished his ministry, as an old man, he said that he did not have any man's blood on his hands, since he had faithfully preached the full counsel of God. This was the same thing the Lord told Angelica Zambrano.  He allowed her to see her own relatives headed for hell, and he said, "Daughter, they are walking to this place, but go and them where they are walking, go and tell them they are walking to hell.  Go and tell them that I have chosen you as my watchman...I have chosen you as my watchman, for it means that you are to tell the truth.  You must go and tell all that I have shown you.  If you do not speak out and something happens to that person, his blood will be poured over you, but if you go and do as I have told you, then that person has an account with me.  If the person does not repent, then the responsibility resting upon you will be lifted, for the account will rest upon that person and his blood will not be poured over you. "

The Lord said, "Daughter, there are also people who know Me, that are walking to this place." I asked, "Lord, how can people who know You also come here?"  He replied, "That person who has left My ways and that person who is living a double life."

My friend, don't keep this word to yourself!  Share it with others!  You must warn them, even if they know the Lord or are a professing Christian.  If you are a pastor, don't hold back from declaring anything the Lord gives you. Warn the people.  That's why I am writing this blog, in spite of it's unpopular message.

Repent! Turn from your idols
The message the Lord gave Ezekiel for the people was simple.  “Therefore say to the people of Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Repent! Turn from your idols and renounce all your detestable practices!" Ezekiel 14:6

He also said, “Therefore, you Israelites, I will judge each of you according to your own ways, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall. Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, people of Israel? For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent and live!" Ezekiel 18:30-32
 
This is the same message John the Baptist preached, and the same message Jesus preached.  The apostles also preached it.  This is a now word for today!

There are different kinds of repentance.  There is half-hearted, insincere repentance.  God sees right through that kind.  You cannot fool God.  Forgiveness can only follow true repentance, which is the true, sincere, deep, heart-felt kind.

Listen to some more of the words the Lord spoke to Angelica Zambrano:

The sin of unforgiveness --

During her visit to hell, the Lord said, "There is no other opportunity [for those in hell]; there is still opportunity for those who are alive."  I asked Him, "Lord, why is my great-grandmother here?  I don't know if she ever knew you.  Why is she here in hell, Lord?"  He replied, "Daughter, she is here because she failed to forgive...Daughter, he who does not forgive, neither will I forgive him."

I asked, "Lord, but You do forgive, and You are merciful." And He answered, "Yes, Daughter, but it is necessary to forgive, because they have not forgiven many people, and that is why many people are in this place, because they failed to forgive...Go and tell humanity that it is time to forgive, and especially My people, for many of My people have not forgiven.  Tell them to rid themselves of grudges, of resentment, of that hatred in their hearts, for it is time to forgive!  If death were to surprise that person who has failed to forgive, that person may go to hell, for no one can purchase life." When we left that place, my great grandmother was engulfed in fire and she screamed, "Aaaah," and began to blaspheme the name of God, she would curse Him; every person in hell blasphemes against God.

Fornication, idolatry, greed, and lying --
She was very surprised to see Pope John Paul II in hell, and she asked about it.  Jesus replied, "Daughter, no fornicator, no idolater, no one who is greedy and no liar will inherit My Kingdom."

Jesus said, "Look, Daughter, there are many idolaters in this place.  Idolatry will not save, Daughter.  I am the only One who saves, and outside of Me, no one saves.  I love the sinner, but I hate sin, Daughter.  Go and tell humanity that I love them and that they need to come to Me."

In heaven, she saw Mary, and Jesus told Angelica, "Daughter, she is Mary.  Mary, who gave birth to Jesus Christ, Who I am.  Daughter, I want to tell you that she has no knowledge of the things happening on Earth.  I want to tell you that you must go and tell humanity, tell idol worshipers that hell is real, and that idolaters will not inherit My kingdom, but go and tell them that if they repent, they can enter My heavenly dwelling placeGo tell them that I love them and tell them that Mary has no knowledge of anything [happening on Earth] and the only One that they must exalt is Me, because neither Mary, nor St. Gregory nor any other saint can offer salvation.  I am the only One who saves and outside of Me – nobody, nobody, nobody- saves!" He repeated it three times - that nobody could save; only He saves. 

Animated cartoons --
Jesus said, "Daughter, these animated cartoons, those movies, those soap operas that are seen daily on TV are satan's instruments to destroy humanity...

The Lord told me something that is very sad and very painful.  He said, "Daughter, there are many children in this place because of animated cartoons, because of rebellion."  I asked Him, "Lord, why are animated cartoons to blame for this?" And He explained, "Because they are demons that carry rebellion, disobedience, bitterness and hatred to children; and other demons enter these children, so that they do not do good things, but do that which is bad: whatever children see on TV, they want to do in reality." 

I encourage you to read or watch her entire testimony, and take to heart what she says.  (see here and here)

Ask the Lord to give you true contrition for your sin.  Ask Him to give you tears of repentance.  Cry out to Him with mourning and wailing for your sins.  Change your ways!  Don't just say you're sorry, but stop what you've been doing.  True repentance always produces fruit.  God is looking to find the fruit of repentance in our lives.  But we need to produce that fruit.  John the Baptist said to produce fruit in keeping with repentance.

The Rapture
I would like to share with you one final word regarding the rapture -- the moment when all the holy ones will be snatched up to meet the Lord in the air.

"For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord." (1Th 4:16-17)

I realize many do not believe in the rapture, and others think there are still many signs to be fulfilled before the Lord returns.  I am here to tell you that it may happen at any moment, so be ready.

The Lord told Angelica Zambrano, "Daughter, you have to return to Earth...Daughter, I am going to show you something: How I am coming to Earth for a holy people.  I am going to show you how the day of the Rapture will be." 

The Lord told me, "Daughter, in those days, death will flee; Daughter, in those days the Holy Spirit will no longer be on Earth." (See Rev 9:6)

He told me, "Daughter, look, this is how everything will happen."   And He showed her how terrifying it will be on that day, when many professing Christians, and even pastors, are left behind.

But sadly the Lord said, "It will be too late.  The time to repent is now...Daughter, go tell humanity to seek Me, for during that time there will no longer be opportunity.  (Isaiah 55:6)  Daughter, it will be too late for all those that stay behind." When Jesus observed how people were left behind, He began to weep and said, "Daughter, I will go to Earth as it says in 1 Thes.  4: 16-17."

Putting it All Together
I wrote this warning under the leading of the Holy Spirit on June 11, 2012.  Then on June 25, I happened to find the following prophetic warning of the exact same thing, when I wasn't even looking for it (see here).  I believe this confirms with certainty that this is a word from the Lord, so please be sure and read it!

When Jesus came the first time, it was to bear sin.  Now He’s coming again, but this time, He’s coming to save the righteous and punish the wicked.  He’s coming in anger and wrath. I'm not giving any dates.  But the day of the Lord hastens! The end of days have come.

John the Baptist was God’s chosen vessel to prepare the way for the Lord.  He paid the price (no wine at all, no fine clothes, no social life, no comfort, no pleasant foods, constant fasting, etc).  He didn’t fear men or seek to please men in what he preached.

He could have said, “I will still preach the message, but I will have a glass of wine now and then.”  Or, “I will still obey God, but I will live in Jerusalem and live in a normal home. I will have a preaching point in the city.”  Or, “I will eat like everybody else, but preach with all my heart.”  Or he could have avoided any scathing remarks to the hypocritical religious leaders of his day, so that he could win their approval, and improve his ratings with the people.  Or he could have avoided saying anything to King Herod about his adulterous relationship with his brother’s wife.  But he made no compromise.  He delivered everything the Lord gave him to say.

Because of his faithfulness to the call of God, not just in speaking the right words, but also in his lifestyle, when he preached, people were cut to the heart.  He preached with fiery passion from the Holy Spirit.  He was full of the Spirit.  The Holy Spirit convicted his listeners.  They repented and prepared their hearts for the Lord’s coming. 

Today we need men like John the Baptist.  We need men who will prepare the way for the Lord. He is coming back immediately, and many people who profess to belong to God are not ready.  It’s just like the days of John the Baptist.  The Lord has sent the spirit of Elijah into the land once again.  He is turning the hearts of His children back to the Father.

The message is still the same: “People, get ready! Jesus is coming! Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near. Turn from your wicked ways.  Forsake the world.  Pursue righteousness.  Seek holiness.  Seek His face.  Seek the Lord while He may be found.”

Regardless of what you think of Angelica Zambrano and her experience, this message is still true.  Even if you remove from this post all excerpts from her testimony, the Word of God still warns us clearly.  But if you reject her message, there are many others to whom the Lord has been speaking the same thing.  Hers is not an isolated incident. It's one of many things the Lord is doing to deliver the final warning message to wake up the Church and call us back to holiness. So be careful what you say about Angelica and the others through whom the Lord is speaking this message.  In the same way, they treated the prophets of old.  This may be your last opportunity to turn back before it's too late.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

Author's note: Another key article I discovered several days after I wrote this post is called The Most Annoying Shofar, written by Hannah Weiss and posted on Christians Together. I urge you to read that one, too. You may also want to read my other post called, "Very Few Will Hear the Trumpet".  Then check out "Grieve and Lament for the Church" and "Are You Rapture Ready?

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"
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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.