Ready or Not…Here I Come!

Meditate. Are you ready?

Later, Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives. His disciples came to him privately and said, "Tell us, when will all this happen? What sign will signal your return and the end of the world?" Jesus told them, "Don't let anyone mislead you, for many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Messiah.' They will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don't panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won't follow immediately. Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world. But all this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come. Then you will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. You will be hated all over the world because you are my followers. And many will turn away from me and betray and hate each other. And many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people. Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then the end will come.” Matthew 24:3-14

Jesus also told His disciples, and us, to be ready...For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will. Matthew 24:44. Be ready—always. What do we need to be ready?

·         Be sure of your salvation – Repentance/Faith - "The time promised by God has come at last!" he announced. "The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!" Mark 1:15

Seeing their faith, He said, "Friend, your sins are forgiven you." Luke 5:20

·         Be holy - But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. 1 Peter 1:15

·         Share Jesus with others…"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Matthew 28:19

 ·         Be a servant - And the Lord replied, "A faithful, sensible servant is one to whom the master can give the responsibility of managing his other household servants and feeding them. If the master returns and finds that the servant has done a good job, there will be a reward. Luke 12:42-43

·       Then watch for signs…Jesus told them, "Don't let anyone mislead you, for many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Messiah.' They will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don't panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won't follow immediately. Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world. ... "Then you will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. You will be hated all over the world because you are my followers. And many will turn away from me and betray and hate each other. And many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people. Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. ... Just as the gathering of vultures shows there is a carcass nearby, so these signs indicate that the end is near. Matthew 24:4-7, 9-13, 28

…Just as the gathering of vultures shows there is a carcass nearby, so these signs indicate that the end is near. Immediately after the anguish of those days, the sun will be darkened, the moon will give no light, the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. And then at last, the sign that the Son of Man is coming will appear in the heavens, and there will be deep mourning among all the peoples of the earth. And they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. Matthew 24:28-30

Is it a cloudy day? Jesus gave His disciples and us lots of things to look for before His return.           

Wars. Rumors of wars. Earthquakes. Famine. Arrests. Persecution. False prophets. Sin.

Don’t be deceived. Endure. Share the Good News of Jesus with others.

Are you ready for Christ’s return? He will return as He said. Ready or not...here He comes!

Prayer ~ Holy Spirit, not only nudge my heart to remind me daily to “be ready” but show me specifically what I can do to prepare myself and help others to get ready, too. 

Foaming Pacific Ocean
Oregon Coast

Verse of Salvation ~ God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea. Let the oceans roar and foam. Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge! Psalm 46:1-3

Verse of Thanksgiving ~ Give thanks to the LORD and proclaim his greatness. Let the whole world know what he has done. 1 Chronicles 16:8

© 2021 Text, photos and illustrations by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.

All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted.

New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation.

Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Biblical search from Blue Letter Bible - http://v3.blueletterbible.org/search.cfm.

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