Are you ready?
It all comes down to this.
The exhortations that we have been giving come from the Lord to His end-time Church. They all point to one question. Here it is:
Are you ready to meet the Lord?
That is the question you should be asking yourself and your friends.
The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. Luke 12:46
Now, you might be thinking, “I know the timeline of Jesus’ return, so how can I be surprised?”
You see, having head-knowledge regarding the timeline of Jesus’ return is just that: an intellectual matter. But Jesus will return during a time so deceptive, so seductive, so offensive, that Jesus Himself asks:
However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth? Luke 18:8
Jesus’ warning to His Church
We can easily see that we are at the beginning of the great falling away. The love of many is growing cold. If your confidence rests in having an intellectual knowledge of the Scripture, know that people with much more Scripture knowledge than we have are falling away every day. Intellectual knowledge alone will not be sufficient.
Look at this passage that caps off Jesus’ teaching on His return. Jesus is warning the future Church.
Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap. Luke 21:34-36
That day
Here’s what Greek scholar Mounce says about “that day” in that passage from Luke.
The day of the Lord and the day of Christ are periods of judgment and vindication, longer than twenty-four hours.
“That day” is a period of time. Jesus is saying that this entire period of time leading to His return will be a trap for believers. The days are evil. Look around. That day is near. It is at the door.
For [that day, the trap] will come on all those who live on the face of the whole earth. Luke 21:35
The hope of believers
Obviously, the Sovereign God, our Father that loves us and both sent His Son to redeem us and the Holy Spirit to fill and lead us has arranged this period of time on the earth.
This period of time is to prove us faithful, and to purify us, as a spotless bride made ready for Jesus, ready to disciple a great harvest of new believers.
We were made to overcome
In fact, we were chosen and predestined to live during “that day”. And we were made to overcome. The Lord knows that He has given us every tool to overcome “that day.” That includes:
the promises in His word,
church meetings,
the power of the Holy Spirit,
worship,
intercession, and
devotional prayer
Most of us love to hear His word preached, and we know that we need to be meeting regularly with other believers. Many long for the power of the Holy Spirit—some have not been touched by the Holy Spirit in weeks or even years! And we know that, for our growth as believers, worship, intercession, and devotional prayer matter.
It only comes through being with Jesus
The disciples were known as uneducated, common men, yet the Jewish leaders of the day recognized that they had been with Jesus, and they were astonished by what they saw and heard from the disciples. (Acts 4:13). Daily, the believers met together to hear the apostles teach, to fellowship together, to eat, and to pray. (Acts 2:42) And, Scripture says, “awe came upon every soul” (Acts 2:43).
The early disciples suffered immensely, yet they were known for having been with Jesus. In the same way, when it is all said and done, we must have hearts that burn for Jesus and the love of His Presence to survive these times. This comes only through communing with the Lord in devotional prayer and worship.
The Holy Spirit works through hearts humble enough to seek God through worship and prayer. Studying the Scriptures diligently is a good thing! But to touch and be touched by God every day is vital. Otherwise we have nothing to offer our family, friends or our church.
One of the saints of old said, “Prayer is easy, determination to pray is hard”.
Prayer resources
There are many great tools to help you in your prayer life, including our Teach Me to Pray workbook. This booklet is free, easy to use, and will get you praying in no time. You can do it!
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. Luke 21:36
Are we ready to meet the Lord? Am I? Are you?
