With the increasing global chaos, we’re hearing more about the return of Christ from church pulpits. I also believe He is coming soon, but what is soon to us isn’t soon to Him.
Jesus, Himself, has given us much warning about being too quick to determine when He’ll return. He would say things like, “But the end is not yet” (Matthew 24:6), or “All these are the beginning of sorrows” (Matthew 24:8). These warnings are in reference to the difficult times before His return.
The problem with preaching Jesus’ imminent return without regard to Biblical warning is we inadvertently place ourselves an unprepared position. The Chinese believers did the same thing when Mao became dictator. Multitudes of believers died by Mao’s anti-religious policies, and many believers apostatized because the preachers didn’t prepare them for persecution and tribulation. We don’t want to fall victim to the same demonic scheme.
There is a divine order to the end times. The Bible says a lot about the end times and is clear on God’s divine order.
There are those that believe it’s going to happen one way or another, so why worry about it? I agree, we shouldn’t be worried, but we shouldn’t be ignorant either. If God saw fit to have so much scripture dedicated to Jesus’ second coming, we should realize how important it is to God and honor Him by seeking the truth.
It’s hard to prepare for something we don’t know what to prepare for. We need to ask ourselves, “Am I so mature spiritually, mentally, and emotionally that I can face the worst of times? Am I brutally honest with myself? How well do I do under stress now?”
The prophet wrote, “If racing against mere men makes you tired,
how will you race against horses?
If you stumble and fall on open ground,
what will you do in the thickets near the Jordan?” (Jeremiah 12:5; NLT). A sobering caution for us all!
I encourage you, don’t be easily shaken by world events. We live in the here and now, so prepare for the here and now. Love God’s word and be studious. Spend quality time in prayer, especially praying in the spirit. Learn to be led by the Holy Spirit. Do what you can in the natural to prepare for famine, pestilence, persecution, crime, and war.
Our kingdom is not of this world. We’re of the Kingdom of God. Our citizenship is a spiritual one. Whatever happens in this life will be forgotten by the glories of eternity with our Father and His Son.
Stay strong and prepared!
A Journal of Edification and Exhortation 