“Do you hear the swords rattling all across the nations? Can you not see the sides being drawn? Is it not becoming increasingly clear that your safe little world is about to change forever? What are you doing about it? How are you preparing yourself, so that I can use you during desperate times? Are you locking up with Me, so that you are bold when others are immobilized with fear? Are you prepared to show people Jesus, when they finally realize that they need to turn to Him? You realize that you have been born for this season to carry out My Word, don’t you? What are you doing to prepare for your task?

"You need to come to Me for My reasons, instead of your petty stubbed toes. You need to learn to love deeper and stronger than the hate of the world. Now is the time. Soon it will be too late. You won’t have what is needed to overcome if you don’t come to Me now. Instead of being My vessels of honor and power, walking in the fullness of My love, you will be part of the cowering masses. My, my, what you will be missing!”

Zechariah 7:13 NIV 

“ ‘When I called, they did not listen; so when they called, I would not listen.’ says the Lord Almighty.”

2 Chr. 16:9a NIV 

“For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him...”

Matthew 5:13 AMP

You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste (its strength, its quality) how can its saltness be restored? It is not good for anything any longer but to be thrown out and trodden underfoot by men.

Acts 4:29-31 AMP

29) And now, Lord, observe their threats and grant to Your bond servants [full freedom] to declare Your message fearlessly,

30) While You stretch out Your hand to cure and to perform signs and wonders through the authority and by the power of the name of Your holy Child and Servant Jesus.

31) And when they had prayed, the place in which they were assembled was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they continued to speak the Word of God with freedom and boldness and courage.

There are many stories and fables about preparedness. It generally ends up that the ones, who wouldn’t heed the warnings to be prepared for the predicted season of danger, are found seeking assistance from the ones who did heed the warnings as the season comes upon them. The prepared ones usually help the unprepared and some lessons are learned. Those are nice stories and worthy of attention. There is one situation, however, in which things won’t work so well for the unprepared.

When God calls His people to prepare, only those who respond to His call will prosper when whatever is ahead happens. Since God gives Himself when people come to Him, those who will not heed the call will have little of the nature of the Lord to call upon when peril hits. His nature is what is needed to overcome any situation. Because they responded to the call to intimacy, those who have His nature may desire to help; but they will not be able to give away what only God can give.

This can only end in tragedy for those who decide to respond only when peril is at the door. The nature of God is imparted over time and for reasons other than for selfish survival in panic situations. It is imparted so that His people can rise above any situation and accomplish His purposes in His way.

God has been calling His people to come to Him for some time now. There are very hard times coming in the near future. Those who are responding to His call have become aware of the dangers in our world and are receiving the nature of the Lord to understand them from His perspective. He imparts the part of Himself that sees future situations as opportunities to bring others to Jesus, rather than times to cower in fear. Others, those who are not responding to His call, are going about the business of fighting for their rights, and making unfruitful, personal petitions to pad their comfort areas. They will miss out on walking in concert with the Lord and overcoming the peril of the times ahead. What a tragedy!

I want to live in Your truth for Your reasons, Lord,

Jim Corbett