“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (Revelation 2:11).

Ever since sin entered humanity, God’s warning and wooing of His people has been a consistent theme in the Scriptures. There are countless verses throughout the Old Testament, too many to list, where God warns His people of the consequences of falling away, and then woos them back with mercy, forgiveness, and compassion. Here’s an example:

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 “When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land”  (2 Chronicles 7:13-14).

Who is praying on the wall?

The New Testament also repeatedly warns against falling away, like in the parable of the Vine and the branches in John 15:6, and the warnings against neglecting our salvation in Hebrews 2:1-4. But have you considered these: warnings about persecution visited upon believers and about tribulations visited upon the world. Jesus minced no words about either one:

“See that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray.  And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains. Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved” (Matthew 24:4-13).

Nearly two thousand years later, we sometimes struggle with recognizing the signs of the times Jesus warned us to pay attention to. The warnings about the last days were given to a people that did not yet know electronics, internet, computer science, air travel, or the existence of nuclear weapons. Jesus, Son of the omniscient God, knew all that would come, of course, but the people He was discipling could not possibly understand. Perhaps that is why the warnings God gives us in the Scripture often come in word pictures and focus on natural disasters and other shakings He is visiting upon unrepentant humanity, on deception of those who do not stay close enough to Him to discern, and persecution of believers for the sake of His Name.

The articles IFA presents every week are just some of the harbingers that things are heating up: Hints of coming totalitarianism that could signal persecution for the people of God in nations like the U.S. that have hitherto championed freedom of worship; clear indications that the U.S. is turning away more and more from biblical truth; increase in violence and lawlessness, to name a few.

The daily news headlines add war, tensions between nations, pandemics and other health threats, natural disasters – things that resemble the plagues that Revelation 16 describes.

It all means that the shakings of humanity are ramping up more than they have been, and that persecution of Christians is on the rise around the globe and not far off for us as well.

The Old Testament warned us. Jesus warned us. The Apostles warned us. So why do so many Christians seem to be anxious and dismayed about what is happening?

Perhaps it is because Bible knowledge is superficial at best in today’s church culture. Perhaps it is because it is not easy to figure out which chapter of Revelation we’re in today, or which cultural, political, or climatological phenomenon we are experiencing points us to the “signs of the times” we’re supposed to be watching. Or perhaps it is because many of our Christian brothers and sisters have been too comfortable and saw no urgency in maintaining a daily, intimate walk with God. So, now they’re caught off guard and are anxious and confused. Not unlike the foolish virgins who had nothing with which to light their lamps when the coming of the bridegroom was announced (Matthew 24:1-13). The moral of that story speaks volumes: “Watch, therefore, for you know neither the day or the hour.”

But, as has been the case throughout history, God woos us even as He warns us. I believe with all my heart that His message to the American Church is what the Holy Spirit whispered into my mind today, and that I want to yell from the rooftops into the ears of our seemingly sleepy Christendom:

“Come closer. I desire intimacy with you, not only for you to know the depth of My love, but so that you will recognize and hear My voice, that you will know and understand My Word, and hold My hand which guides you in all truth and leads you through the valley of the shadow of death. I will pour into you My fullness – My wisdom, My strength, My courage, My comfort, My holiness, My joy, My love, and My steadfastness. I will protect you against false Messiahs, false teaching, false gospels, and false worship, and give you courage in the face of the persecution you will suffer for My Name’s sake. I will give you oil in your lamp to keep your light shining in the gathering darkness.

“But you must come closer. Draw near to Me and I will draw near to you. Seek Me above all things, and all you need I will give to you. It comes from Me and no other source. Intertwine with My True Vine and His life will flow into you and out of you to bear fruit to My glory, even as the world stops yielding hers, and reels in darkness and drought.”

He gave me the picture of a father who calls his child to stay close to him as he sees the impending danger his child does not yet see and cannot yet understand. His child instinctively obeys his father’s voice and cuddles up close. With his father’s arm wrapped around him, his questioning eyes meet the peace and love in his father’s face, and he knows he can endure what’s coming and count on his father’s guidance and protection. He is safe as long as he stays close to his father. “He who endures to the end will be saved,” said Jesus.

But the child that wanders off and pays his father no heed will have no understanding, no protection, no courage, no strength, and no direction to withstand the onslaught of the Last Days.

That is why we must come closer.

Frankly, that is the message behind my book “Prayer Matters”:  a clarion call to every believer who will read it to move from occasional prayer to a life of prayer without ceasing. We’re going to need it, and the time to start is now and not when disaster strikes, and we are caught off-guard.

Intercessor, you have already come closer. You see in the Spirit what is being visited upon the world as you read news article after news article and do battle for His Kingdom to advance to every tribe in nation and His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. Take heart, the closeness of the Father will see you through.

But look with alarm and compassion on the millions of believers who do not know how to walk with their Savior and Lord.

Please join me in fervent prayer for His people, who are called by His Name, who have upon them the seal of ownership by the Holy Spirit but who seem to have wandered off from the Father’s closeness and are in danger of falling asleep or falling away, to hear His voice and not harden their hearts (Ps. 97:7,8), but to come closer and stay closer through unceasing prayer and devotion to His Word – so that they will not only have courage, wisdom, insight and direction when they need it, but have the spiritual power to shine their lights brightly. In other words: to not miss the warning and the wooing of God.

“Father, we join our hearts today and lift up in prayer all those of Your Church in America and around the world who have fallen sleep spiritually or have wandered away from intimacy with You and are in danger of falling away when persecution and tribulation strike. Incline their hearts to You. Open their ears to hear You warning and wooing Your children to come closer, to take Your hand, and walk with You. We pray that the anxiety and confusion among some about the turbulence and rapidly changing times will lead them to seek You and stay by Your side, to reattach themselves firmly to the Christ the Vine so that by the work of the Holy Spirit Your fullness can flow into them once again, and through them bear great fruit for Your kingdom. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.”

How did you feel about this article? What do you think of the warnings and wooing of God today? Share your thoughts and prayers below.

Author Remco Brommet is a pastor, spiritual growth teacher, and prayer leader with over 40 years’ experience in Europe, Southeast Asia, Africa, and the US. Born and raised in the Netherlands and pastoring his first church in Amsterdam, he moved to the U.S. in 1986. He and his wife Jennifer currently live north of Atlanta, GA When not writing books, he blogs and assists his wife as content developer and prayer coordinator for True Identity Ministries. Jennifer and Remco are passionate about bringing people into a deeper relationship with Christ. Photo Credit: Davide Cantelli on Unsplash.