Talk Tuesday-Are You Ready?

"Jesus is coming soon!" We have heard these words echoed throughout the ages, as men and women waited in fearful anticipation for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible tells us to,“Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming," Matthew 25:13. The Prophet Joel warns, "Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision," Joel 3:14. The disciples themselves questioned Jesus about His return, "Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” Matthew 24:3.

4 And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows. 9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. 10 And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. 11 Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. 12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come. Matthew 24:4-14

The real question is not 'WHEN is Jesus coming?', but 'AM I READY?' We have all heard the expression, 'Life is short.' The truth is that, “All flesh is grass, and all its loveliness is like the flower of the field. 7 The grass withers, the flower fades, because the breath of the Lord blows upon it; surely the people are grass. 8 The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever,” Isaiah 40:6-8. The transitory nature of our earthly lives means that our opportunity to accept the gift of eternal life is limited. Choose wisely. I leave you with THREE TRUTHS to ponder:

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:15

"...that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." Romans 10:9  

"8 But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. 10 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." 2 Peter 3:8-10

ARE YOU READY?

Talk Tuesday-Warning Signs

The last few years have been some of the toughest of my life. After my second surgery, I wondered what was the Lord's purpose in removing me from the life I had known. Unbeknownst to me, His plan was that I would become an intercessor while 'shut in'. Naturally, I did not understand what He was doing. It started in about June of 2009. I began to stockpile a list of names and situations to pray for. The Holy Spirit then called my attention to a map I had gotten at Missionsfest a few years ago. The map outlined the 10/40 window, where 97 percent of the world's 3 billion unreached live.

Last night, as I lay on the living room floor crying out in prayer, the Holy Spirit revealed to me that I had been praying for the nations that are currently experiencing turmoil today-the North African nations, the Middle East, Asia and yes, Japan! What was odd is that New Zealand, which is outside of the 10/40 window, as well as the Indonesian islands, were included in my prayer. GOD IS SOVEREIGN and HE KNOWS THE END FROM THE BEGINNING. God loves people, and He desires that ALL should be saved.

We are now living in the season of BIRTH PAINS.

“Tell us,” they said, 'when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?'
Jesus answered: 'Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumours of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.'” Matthew 24:3-8

I have heard many prophesy about the end of the world, however, no one knows the exact date.

“But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.'” Matthew 24:36-42

Let us offer ourselves as His vessel, to pray, go and love in the name of Jesus Christ. Let us lift up the people in Japan who have experienced epic devastation. Let us pray for our friends, neighbours and those who the Holy Spirit would put on our hearts. And remember, John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."