Be Ready!
“Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is. 34- For the Son of Man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch. 35- Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: 36- Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. 37- And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.” -Mark 13:33-37 (KJV)
Some have video cameras installed inside and outside their homes/business to provide as it were a constant sentinel that stands watch over their homes or businesses. They have installed these to keep watch over their stuff and be ready to be alerted to unwanted visitors. The key phrase here is “keep watch”. But who is watching vigilantly for the return of the Lord? I would venture to say that most Christians are not. This is sad and disheartening to know that those who call themselves Christians have become callous to the return of the Lord and do not look forward to His return.
Jesus has commanded us to watch and be alert many, many times in His word and therefore, there will be NO excuses for not watching or not being ready!
You see not many are keeping watch or staying alert looking for the signs of His return. Why? Lethargy, complacency, laziness, lack of knowing their Bibles and some with no desire to leave the comfort of their pleasant lives. Keeping watch involves knowing what’s happening in the world and what the Bible says (what the Lord said) would precede His coming. God has chosen to speak to us through His word – the Bible – and through signs such as with the lights in the heavens – the sun, moon and stars (Gen 1:14). He has also chose to communicate via the environment and through nature.
Reading Matt 24 and Luke 21, the Lord says that many things will preclude His coming and gave us an outline of what they would be. Here are some of them – the birth pains or the beginnings of the signs. Are you paying attention? Remember, the Lord Jesus lamb-basted the religious leaders of His time (today’s pastors, priests, teachers, evangelists, church) for not knowing about His first coming – Luke 16:1-3; Luke 19.
Deception
Deception is a huge sign mentioned by Jesus 4 times in one chapter. This is both extremely significant and important and we should pay close attention to what this means in our lives. Many wolves have entered the Christian arena (Acts 20:29) and are bent on destroying Christendom through false teaching and false doctrine. Many follow the tradition and wisdom of men thereby leading many to the gates of hell. Many preachers have and are perverting the word of God for their own gain thinking/teaching that it leads to Godliness (1 Tim 6:5-6). How absolutely false! Take heed and beware!
Wars, rumors of wars
Wars, rumors of wars, rebellion and peace being removed is another sign the Lord shows us. These have been plentiful throughout the ages but now we see this increasing all over the world. Especially now in the Middle East. Syria is a war-torn nation now with a plethora of nations treading its soil. Nations that have aligned and staged for the Gog/Magog war sometime in the near future. Israel is feeling increased pressure from the international community concerning peace with the PA. They are now surrounded with their enemies on all sides it’s time to wake up and find out from the Bible what the days ahead may bring. And the only way to know this is to read and study what Almighty God has told us in His word. Take heed and beware!
Culture/Societal
In America, God is being shown the door; asked to leave, told to get out of our lives. People it seems have no use for Him (their Creator) anymore. So His hand is/has being lifted and consequently evil and wickedness have walked right in in abundance. Therefore, hate is increasing like a freight train speeding out of control and society is in strife, fear, and upheaval. Lawlessness is abounding – all over the world. Hatred with and against family members and children, people killing one another especially here in America. Why? Iniquity and sin is increasing and people’s love for one another is waxing frigidly cold. Many are being offended for even the slightest reasons and political correctness is the new American way. If you preach and teach the full council of God, in other words, all Christ’s words you will, today, offend many in and out of the church. Therefore, most of our Christian leaders choose to avoid teaching all the truth found in the Bible and consequently many will be lost for they are not hearing about sin, repentance, salvation. Take heed and beware!
Environmental/Events in Nature
Environmental or natural occurring events are ramping up like never before. I’ve heard it said that even the weather people and weather scientists are astonished and perplexed at the weather phenomena with records being smashed and the severeness of weather disasters across the world. Earthquakes are doubling, tornadoes are more frequent and intense, hurricanes resulting in more destruction and death, flooding is absolutely terrible and rampant, deep and wide sinkholes opening up all across the world, unseasonably cold or hot conditions, volcanoes spewing in record numbers and others waking up after many years of dormancy. What do all these things mean?
Has anyone really stopped to consider what time is it on God’s prophetic time clock? Has anyone thought to connect Bible Prophecy foretold to us by Jesus and His Apostles in scripture with current events? Do people even read His word today? Do they care? Or do most think that He isn’t coming anymore and toss the Bible out of their lives? What about our churches … are they teaching about Christ’s return? Are they alerting and warning people about the events Jesus warned us about prior to His second coming? You know He spoke about this in 3 of the 4 Gospels.
Dear friends, I believe that the Day of the Lord (the day He will start to bring His severe wrath upon this world for its sinfulness and unrepentant hearts) is very near and His severe judgments are just around the corner. God has been and is yet warning us through many events, yes, and through calamities, to turn back to Him – Joel 2:12-17. He will do what He thinks it takes to try and turn us around. In Amos 4, the Lord God repeatedly sent warnings through natural events trying to get the northern kingdom of Israel to return to Him – famine, drought, crop damage, pestilences and wars – but they refused to return (ca. 8th century BC). See any difference today? We are experiencing the same types of warnings through nature and the environment and many of them are getting worse and worse. In the Book of Jeremiah (Jer 8:7), we are told that even the stork, the dove, the swift and the thrush know the appointed times of their going and coming. But we humans seem to be quite ignorant of the times the Lord speaks to us about in His word.
Bottom Line
Are you ready for the road ahead? Are you prepared? It’s time we got on our knees and did some serious praying; confessing our sin, repenting and turning back to the Lord in the things we do, say and think. BEING READY, alert and watchful are what today is about and what tomorrow will bring. Be ready to tell others about God, about His Son, about His free gift of salvation and the forgiveness of sins. Be ready to give an answer for our faith to others – being active and alive in our faith. Be ready to stand up for our faith and not back down in this antichrist (1 John 2:18) and anti-God-ridden world. And finally, be ready in our heart, mind, soul and spirit for the rapture of the church (Christ’s Bride), which, IMHO, is nearer than most think. Be ready folks, get ready, stand ready for the return of the Lord.
“Sanctify ye a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land into the house of the LORD your God, and cry unto the LORD, Alas for the day! for the day of the LORD is at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come.” -Joel 1:14-15 (KJV)
-BPWatcher, Internet Preacher and Bible Prophecy Watchman
