Preparation For His Return

March 26, 2009

Preparation for His Return

Kathleen Maples

What does the Bible truly tell us about Christ's coming? First, and foremost that He's already walked this earth He helped the Father create and second He will come again. There is much debate on this. Some believe in a rapture of the church, and some don'tthey see the church going through the tribulation. What does the Bible really say? We need to have it settled in our heart, because it will effect our behavior and our walk with God. I've been thinking about this word 'preparation'. The activity of putting or setting in order in advance of some act or purpose. When a woman is getting married, she makes preparation for the wedding. She makes sure she has the wedding dress, the accessories, the hair and makeup, the guests are invited, provision is made for food, accommodations for the guests, etc. Should we not all the more make preparation to meet the Lord? We know things are winding down. Everyone knows it. So what kind of preparation does His people need to make? You need to guard your soul and yourself diligently, guard against forgetting what you've seen, learned, and understood about God. Guard against forgetting, growing cold on God. Guard your children by passing on what you have learned about God. Teach them who He is. Knowledge and understanding truly is power in this case. (Deu_4:9) This requires frequent and often communion with God. The fact He warns us to guard our soul means there is a threat that we have to beware of. Psa_39:1, Psa_141:3 both exhort us to guard our tongues and ask the Lord to set a guard before our mouths, to guard our lips. His fear operating in our heart will do this. People will try to draw you into unprofitable debates on Scripture. The Word of God is His to prove, ours to believe. Arguing over the Scriptures and what people interpret them to mean is pointless. If you have a hungry heart and seek truth, you can pray, like David, "Lord, Open Thou mine eyes, so I may behold wondrous things out of Thy law." Psa_119:18. Don't trust yourself or your own righteousness, or strength. Pro_28:26 tells us he that trusts his own heart is a fool. Jer_17:9 tells us the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked and who can know it or its secrets? Only God. We can't even know our own hearts like He can. The Lord searches and tests our hearts and thoughts. The temptation is strong to think we are right, because of an experience we had, or our feelings, and these too we have to guard against. Pastor David Wilkerson said years ago feelings are sometimes the messengers of Satan. You can't trust them. Feelings are rooted in the carnal nature most of the time, as well. Luk 11:34 The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness.

Luk 11:35 Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness.

When you examine what He's saying here carefully, study these words, especially the word 'light' used here in these verses, you discover He's talking about two different kinds of light. Light means understanding, revelation. There are two kinds, one darkness, and one truly light. The first kind of understanding is human, it can be obtained by human effort, human studying, searching. Then there is the second and it is true understanding and wisdom which can only be accessed by Divine revelation.

The Holy Spirit opens your understanding as you seek truth, and shows it to you. So make sure what you know you got from God, through prayer, fasting, whatever it takes. Make sure you are not following traditions of men, teaching of men's minds. Even Paul said follow me as I follow Christ. Luk_12:15 tells us to beware of covetousness. Beware of trying to accumulate material things-these things are passing away fast. Spend wisely-let the Lord direct your spending, as well as every thing else. What is more important-having a new pair of shoes or purse or investing that money in the work of the Lord so someone you don't know who maybe doesn't have a Bible and has never heard of Jesus Christ can hear and have one? The answer is obvious. Seek to add to His kingdom souls, not your own. Luk 12:35 Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning;

1Pe 1:13 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; The loins is the place where the Hebrews thought the ability to procreate resided. This also speaks of descendants. Our children need protection-they need to know the Truth. Personally. The Hebrews' manner of dress is relevant here, as well. They wore knee length tunics over their body, and outer robes tied with belts or cords of some kind. When they were at ease, the robes flowed loosely. But when they had to move, work, travel, or be on guard, they gathered the outer robe up and tied it so it wouldn't hinder their movements. It means to be prepared. Spiritually speaking, wrap your mind in the truth. If you know the truth you won't believe the lie when it comes to you. Be discreet, calm, collected in spirit, careful and observant. God has made some promises, that we might have something to hold on to-HOPE for that end He promised His own. An expectation-remember, Jesus endured a horrible time on the cross for the joy-the expectation God had set before Him. Don't cast away your confidence in that expected end. Let your lamp burn bright. Don't hide it or allow anything that would dim the lightlike neglecting prayer and the Word, stay connected and fellowship with the Source..If the light is burning in you it will give light-understanding, to all in the house. They will see Truth if they see His light in you. It's to be put on display where you are. You don't need to advertise. The light is clearly visible-it doesn't have to shout at the darkness, Look, I'm the light. The light just has to shine. Trust the Holy Spirit to do the talking. He can point out the light to those in the darkness. He can stir hope in their hearts and point them in the right direction. But they need to see the light in us. In Matthew 24, Jesus has just finished exposing the religious fraud and blasting the Pharisees for their hypocrisy. They are furious with Him. He has stood and wept over Jerusalem. He said your house is left to you desolate. I would have gathered you to Me, but you were unwilling. You won't see Me again until you say blessed is He that comes in the name of the Lord. Oh, we must welcome that precious Holy Ghost, the Holy Spirit of God-for it is HE who has been sent to show us Christ! It's not a popular message but Jesus Christ is the ONLY Way, the Only Truth, the Only Life. (Joh_14:6) The world needs truth not tolerance. The disciples are stunned. He's ripped everything their life up until they met Him was based on. They privately ask Him "When will this happen? What will be the sign of Your coming and the end of this age?" The first thing Jesus says to them is be careful that no one deceive you, seduce you into believing a lie, or lead you astray. First and foremost, be careful you know the truth so

you don't believe a lie. He knew there would be rampant error taught as truth. Paul warned Timothy that the Holy Spirit had told him explicitly in the last days some would leave the truth, and lead others away from it as well. They would pay attention and turn to corrupting spirits and demonic instruction. (1Ti_4:1) Jesus said many would come in His Name, they would stand as representatives of His character, His power, His authority, and deceive many. They would declare they had the anointing (for Christ means the anointed One of God) and lead many into error. Many imposters will rise and deceive so many souls. There will be so much transgression of the law of God that people will lose the love of God, the love for God, and for their fellowman. Nations turning on nations, famine, hunger for food, for spiritual truth, all kinds of pestilences, diseases, earthquakes all over the place, natural disasters, wars, rumors of wars keeping people tense and unsettled. Many will be offended and turn on each other. (Remember great peace have they that love His law and nothing will offend (cause to stumble) them. Nothing will make them fall when they are rooted in His Word, and His life. Those who aren't will be offended- (G4624 skandalizo) it means they will behave in such a way they will cause offense, they will cause others to fall away from truth, they will entrap, trip up others, entice them into apostasy. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. That word 'endure' caught my attention. It means they tarried, they stayed behind, they waited, they persevered. There is only one place I can think of you can tarry, and wait and get something that will give you the strength to endure what He just said is coming. This verse keeps coming back to me, I can't get away from it. He said you would receive power if you tarried in His presence until you received power from on high. The Holy Ghost will come on you and you will receive power to overcome. (Luk_24:49, Act_1:8) So this tells me the only folks who will stand are those who are meeting God, praying and seeking His face and being filled with His Spirit. The baptism of the Holy Ghost is what they will have to have. When you see the abomination of desolation stand in the holy place, comprehend what it means and flee from it. What does this mean? It's mentioned in Dan_8:13. The sanctuary of God being trodden under foot by God's enemies. 2Thess 2 mentions it as well. Paul tells them "Don't be troubled in your mind, upset in your spirit by what you hear or read. Dont be deceived. There will be those who fall away. There is that man of sin and he will sit in the temple of God and exalt himself as God, over everything that is called God." That is a selfish spirit. A selfish spirit demanding what is due God-and demanding it in GOD'S own House! Let them on the housetop not come down to get things out of the house. Back in these times, the housetop was a place of meditation and prayer in Judea. Would it not be wise to remember when things start falling apart don't forsake that prayer closet? Mat 25:13 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

Stay awake, be vigilant, alert, on guard because you don't know when I'm coming. Mat 26:41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

Watch and pray-there is a trial coming that is going to be so hard the natural (human) reaction will be sin if you yield to it. Your natural reaction to what is coming will be sin. You must pray that you don't fall into the temptation. Be on guard. Be alert. Pray you recognize what is happening, and pray for the strength to resist the temptation to behave in the natural rather than the spiritual. Mar 13:22 For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect.

They are going to come out of obscurity and will minister and have power to work miracles, and they will lead many astray, and if possible the chosen ones. But listen, He's told us ahead of time this was coming. It's up to us to be prepared. We must be digging in His Word and praying and drawing as close to Him as we can. Mar 13:35 Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: Mar 13:36 Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. Mar 13:37 And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.

Stay awake, stay alive, for you don't know when I'm coming-don't let me find you spiritually asleep. Rom 13:10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

Rom 13:11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.

Rom 13:12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Rom 13:13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. Rom 13:14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to

fulfil the lusts thereof.

We need to love one another, because if our love is God's love poured out through us to others, it will not hurt others, or neglect them. Who is our neighbor? Our brothers and sisters in Christ who are part of the Body of Christ. It's time we rise up from our inactivity and obscurity. If we've been neglecting God, we need to shake ourselves from the dust, from self, and make it right. If we have been languishing in a spiritual stupor, making excuses and looking to "Someday things will change, and I'll overcome" we better shake ourselves and face the fact that NOW is the time to get busy, and get in the presence of God to seek Him and get what we need so we are prepared before He tires of our excuses and shuts the door. Our rescue, our deliverance, it is much nearer now than when we first put our trust in Him. Don't let loose of the truth. Don't over indulge in anything except prayer and the Word of God. Be clothed with the presence of the Lord, be like Him, and don't provide for self to have its way.