Prepare Yourself ! February 13-20, 2010

⁴²Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.  Matthew 24

When my children were growing up; I had so much fun.   I would work all day, pick them up from their schools, help them with their homework while cooking and washing clothes if necessary.  I loved to shop and I would always manage to find time to work a little “shop-shop” into my busy schedule. This is so funny…I kept the bags hidden in the trunk of my car. ( I repented and was forgiven)  Here’s my point; when it came time to go to work “at the office” the next day…I was always ready…no matter what.  I went to great lengths to  prepare myself. I thought it out, planned for it, took action and did what I needed to do.  I was never late.  I prepared myself and I trained my children to do the same.  No, I am not perfect.  I learned a lot over the years…but order was a must.

Order,  balance in our lives  and following directions were all things that we deemed important values for our family.    We felt that they were necessary characteristics to enable us to reach our goals.  In order to be successful in any endeavor, I’ve learned and observed (as in seeing others do it) that praying makes it all come together.

I am very serious about my  faith walk with God. God loves order and that suits me just fine because I believe that there must be order , balance, guidance, faith, compassion, sacrifice, love and obedience on my part in order for me to get to my end goal which is life everlasting.   For me…prayer and reading and meditating the word makes it all come together.

God has laid a careful specific plan for each of us and all of us in the bible and I will not overlook it or take it for granted.

The bible shows us that Jesus was always studying, always preparing himself.  As a result of his intensity; Jesus completed his assignment that God gave him; an assignment that no one else could or would want to do.

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Jesus warns us in the Book of Matthew.  He makes it a point to say that we will not know when the end comes.

READ HERE (MATTHEW 24:  36-51)

He gave some very important illustrations on the importance of being prepared:

1.  He makes an analogy to Noah and the flood!  THAT SHOULD REALLY WAKE US UP!!

2.   Two people in a field and one taken.

3.  Two women grinding at the mill; one taken, the other left.

4. If the goodman had known the thief was coming…he would  not have allowed his house to be broken up.
5. ⁴⁵Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?   IS IT YOU?

6.  Well, here’s your answer:  Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. ⁴⁷I solemnly declare to you, he will set him over all his possessions.

7.  This is for the people who believe that Jesus is not coming back:

But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;

⁴⁹And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;

⁵⁰The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,

⁵¹And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

This message is for “servants of God”; people who have known God.  For those who have stepped away from God thinking that they have more time shall get the same judgment of the hypocrite.

THIS MESSAGE IS ALSO FOR EVERYONE WHO “THINKS” THEY ARE DOING EVERYTHING RIGHT; YOU SEE THERE IS A WARNING INSIDE…WATCH OUT!  BE READY!  DON’T YOU WONDER WHY JESUS HAD TO GIVE US SOO MANY ANALOGIES?    HE SURE DOESN”T WANT US TO MISS IT!

Jesus warns us to “watch” and he says be ready two times; so prepare yourself!

THE HOUR IS AT HAND!

What should we be doing?  Well, the message is clear; as believers we are to be wise and faithful.    We are to be prepared for Jesus is coming…any minute!  More:  knowing the word, praying, doing what God told us to do which includes:  preaching that the kingdom of God is come on earth, healing the sick, raising the dead and taking this message to the uttermost parts of the earth. Are you doing this?  Cause this is serious!

I make a greater effort to be with God than I ever did to shop and I don’t have to hide a thing!

When I first read the bible and it said:  “weeping and gnashing of teeth” I wondered what that would be like?  I don’t have a clue but it’s mentioned 7 times in the new testament.  Whew!  I looked up gnashing and it describes a grinding of the teeth by a person in an extreme state of anxiety, rage or a seizure.   I couldn’t imagine weeping at the same time. Something to think about…