As the things Jesus prophesied begin to happen & come to pass in these last days, He told us to “Look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near“. (Luke 21:28)
It is interesting to note that in the last chapter of the Bible, Jesus says 3 times very clearly “I COME QUICKLY!“
Since no one knows exactly when that time will be, we must be always watching, ready, and prepared!
The following Scriptures help remind us Jesus return, & of the importance of being ready, and how to prepare…
dreams
Early this morning I had several vivid dreams that help highlight the importance of preparation.
In the first dream, I was touring with a ministry team on a bus trip, far away from home. We were invited to be special guests at a dress-up, very formal type dinner occasion. However, I had forgotten to bring along my dress shoes. My dress shoes were still at home. I looked down at my feet, and my shoes were very old and ugly. They were clod-hopper type work boots. Obviously, it would be very embarrassing & unfitting to wear work shoes to the event. Since I didn’t have my dress shoes with me, I needed to search for a place to buy another pair. After finding a shoe store that had some shoes my size that fit, there were a number of delays before being able to purchase the shoes. While I was there at the store, several of our team came to find me, urging me to hurry up, because we were going to be late. I persisted in making the purchase, and in the midst of more unavoidable circumstances there were further delays before I got back to the bus. When I finally got there with my new shoes, the bus was leaving. I barely got to the door of the bus, but before I could enter, it left. I was left outside, running after the bus and frantically calling after it to stop and wait for me. When they finally realized I wasn’t onboard they stopped. I was able to catch up, and join them in the bus. However, they were all very upset at me because I had caused them to be late. When we finally got to the special occasion very late, the host and attendees were upset at us, as well. In the middle of it all, I was traumatized. I felt so bad, not just because everyone was upset with me, but because even though I had tried to work through the problems as best I could, obviously it wasn’t good enough, and it had caused a lot of trauma. I felt very down. It wasn’t fun! If only I had been more ready and prepared to begin with…
The scenario changed. This time one of my teammates needed to find a special dress for attending a very important event, and she couldn’t find a suitable one. She was stressed and panicked, still searching everywhere at the last minute to find one in order to meet the deadline. Or, if nothing else, at least trying to find someone she could borrow an appropriate dress from that was fitting. She wasn’t able to locate one, and was quite traumatized…
As I awoke, I was reminded of the importance of readiness, and preparation. It is very important to be adequately prepared for important events, & not wait until the last minute to prepare until it is dreadfully too late!!
GATHERING TOGETHER
HEBREWS 10:23-25
23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 NOT FORSAKING the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and SO MUCH THE MORE AS YOU SEE THE DAY APPROACHING. (this becomes more and more important as you see the Day of Jesus return getting closer).
Other translations say:
DON’T STOP meeting; Or NEGLECTING to gather; DON’T GET OUT OF THE HABIT of meeting; WE MUST NOT QUIT meeting together; You should NOT STAY AWAY from the church meetings as some are doing; NOT ABANDONING our meeting together; NOT AVOIDING worshiping together; DO NOT GIVE UP meeting together; DO NOT STOP GOING to church meetings.
MATTHEW 24:36-44
NO ONE KNOWS THE DAY OR HOUR
“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. 37 But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 38 For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, SO ALSO WILL THE COMING OF THE SON OF MAN BE. …42 Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming… 44 Therefore you also BE READY, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.
THE second COMING
MATTHEW 24:29-31
“Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
THE WISE AND FOOLISH VIRGINS
MATTHEW 25:1-13
“Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 3 Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, 4 but the WISE TOOK OIL IN THEIR VESSELS WITH THEIR LAMPS. 5 But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.6 “And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’ 7 Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ 10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and THOSE WHO WERE READY went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.11 “Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ 12 But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ 13 “WATCH therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.
LUKE 12:35-40
HE COMES QUICKLY
35 “Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning; 36 and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately. 37 Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will FIND WATCHING…38 And if he should come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants…. 39 But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. 40 Therefore you also BE READY, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”
JOHN THE BAPTIST’S MINISTRY
LUKE 1:17
…turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to MAKE READY a people PREPARED for the Lord.”
REVELATION 19:7
THE BRIDEGROOM’S WIFE MADE READY
“Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself READY.”
EPHESIANS 5:25-27
THE CHURCH MADE READY
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also LOVED THE CHURCH and GAVE HIMSELF FOR HER, 26 that He might SANCTIFY and CLEANSE HER with the WASHING OF WATER BY THE WORD, 27 that He might present her to Himself A GLORIOUS CHURCH, NOT HAVING SPOT OR WRINKLE or any such thing, but that she should be HOLY and WITHOUT BLEMISH.
PREPARE TO MEET GOD
2 Chronicles 12:13 (King Rehoboam – unprepared) And he did evil, because HE PREPARED NOT HIS HEART to seek the Lord.
2 Chronicles 27:6 – (King Jotham – prepared) Jotham became mighty, because HE PREPARED HIS WAYS before the Lord his God.
Amos 4:12 – …PREPARE TO MEET YOUR GOD, O Israel!”
MALACHI 3:1
“Behold, I send My messenger, And HE WILL PREPARE THE WAY BEFORE ME. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple, even the Messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight. Behold, He is coming,” Says the Lord of hosts. (Matthew 11:9-11)
HEBREWS 9:27
…it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.
GET READY
HOW?
With fruits of repentance (Luke 13:3,5; 3:8; 2 Peter 3:9)
Be forgiving and receive forgiveness (Psalm 86:5)
Cleansed by the Word (Ephesians 5:25-27)
Glorify the Lord (I Corinthians 10:31)
Be filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18)
Pray without ceasing (I Thessalonians 5:17)
Be faithful (Hebrews 10:24,25; 24:25; 25:21,23)
Abide and be fruitful (John 15:1-16)
Be loving (I John 4:7,8)
Be an overcomer (I John 5:4,5; Romans 12:21)
Be holy (I Peter 1:15,16)
Be thankful (I Thessalonians 5:18; Hebrews 13:15)
Be watchful and alert (Matthew 24:42)
Don’t be deceived (Matthew 24:4)
Endure – be steadfast and un-moveable (Matthew 24:13; I Corinthians 15:58)
Keep oil in your lamp (Matthew 25:1-13)
Have strong roots, built up and established in the faith (Colossians 2:7)
Maintain good works (Ephesians 2:10; Revelation 22:12)
Walk in the light & fellowship (I John 1:7)
Let your light shine (Matthew 5:16; Isaiah 60:1-2)
Praise the Lord (I Peter 2:2,10)
Live blamelessly & without fault (Philippians 2:15)
2 PETER 3:3-4
THE PROMISE OF HIS COMING
3 knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, 4 and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.
2 PETER 3:10-11
THIEF IN THE NIGHT
But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. 11 Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, WHAT MANNER OF PERSONS OUGHT YOU TO BE IN HOLY CONDUCT AND GODLINESS…
2 PETER 3:12-13
NEW HEAVENS AND NEW EARTH
Looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? ? 13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
REVELATION 22:7,12,14,20
”I AM COMING QUICKLY”
7 “BEHOLD, I AM COMING QUICKLY! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”
12 “And BEHOLD, I AM COMING QUICKLY, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.
14 Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.
20 He who testifies to these things says, “SURELY I AM COMING QUICKLY.” Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Such a relevant important urgent message !