Meditate.
You also must be
ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.
Matthew 24:44 and Luke
12:40
Jesus told His disciples and other followers…be ready. Do you feel like you are ready for Christ’s return? Whether this passage is about the Rapture
or the Second Coming of Christ, does it matter? We should be ready, all the time. What does it mean to be
ready? No bags to pack…we can’t take anything with us. Our treasures are
already stored up in heaven. How about spiritually ready? What do we have to do?
Well—you must be born again…saved. In the process of salvation, you’ve
confessed your sins to God. Now you are justified…
it is just as if you’d never sinned. That is a big step…but confession of sin—in
thought, words or actions—needs to continue on a daily basis. It is not a once
done forever done step in the Christian walk. That is where sanctification comes in. It is a process of continually renewing your
mind—the way you think.
Don't copy
the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new
person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will
for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Romans 12:2
Right living—doing that which is
good and pleasing and perfect—results in sanctification, living a holy life—righteous
and pleasing to God.
God has
called us to live holy lives, not impure lives. 1 Thessalonians 4:7
These may seem like big words—but they really aren’t. They are associated
with simple actions: confession of sin and choices that lead to leading a pure
life—not bogged down by sin and guilt. Would you like that? Everyone has a
choice…lots of choices moment by moment, even if we are in “isolation” due to
the COVID-19 crisis.
There are some other examples in the Bible of being ready.
Be ready in the morning to climb up
Mount Sinai and present yourself to me on the top of the mountain. Exodus
34:2
When God's people are in need, be ready
to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality. Romans
12:13
If you keep yourself pure, you will be
a special utensil for honorable use. Your life will be clean, and you will be
ready for the Master to use you for every good work. 2
Timothy 2:21
Choose this day whom you will serve…and
if you’ll be ready if this is the day…or
the week…or the month or the year...that Christ returns. Ready or not…here He
comes.
Prayer –Lord God, show me what I need
to do to be ready for Your return. Give me opportunities to encourage others to
seek and find You as their Savior. May more people come to know You today and
in the coming days so that Heaven will be filled with joyous praise for You.
Verse
of Salvation ~ And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what
will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people
who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life
again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him
the believers who have died. We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who
are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who
have died. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding
shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God.
First, the Christians who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together
with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in
the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever.
So encourage each other with these words.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
Will you be ready?
©
2020 Text and photo by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.
Unless
otherwise indicated, all scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright
© 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers,
Inc. Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
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