You are Always Prepared when You are With God

Lately, we have heard a fair bit of information on why September 2015 is a month to behold.

Some speculated that the US dollars will crash in this coming September 13^th, which will send disastrous shockwaves to economies around the world. This will launch the one-world economic system – the beginning of the seven-year tribulation.

Some believers, upon personal conviction, also believe that this is the day when Jesus will return and whisk them away in rapture, before the world accelerates into turbulence.

So, how should we respond to all these speculations? First of all, the facts presented by the end-time preachers are reasonable. The fact that Israel was formed in 1948 is a fulfilment of a prophecy (Isa 66:7-8). If we were to read this chapter, the following verses talk about Jesus Christ returning to reign.

However, this article is not written to convince you on whether Jesus Christ is indeed returning (though I do believe that we will be the generation to see His return).

But coming back to this impending day in September – to imagine that Jesus is coming back so soon – brought anxiety to my heart.

Why am I anxious? Firstly, I am not prepared for His return yet. Many of my family and friends had not know the Lord. Moreover, if I were to go through the seven-year tribulation, I don’t know if I am prepared for it. Hence, I sat down and thought to myself the best thing for me to do.

What I did was to seek the face of my Father in Heaven. I poured all my anxieties on Him. I told Him, “Father, it is unfair for you to only reveal this to me now if you were to return. I don’t have time to prepare myself. What more others?”

I felt that I have the responsibility to inform in the best yet very limited way to believers on how to prepare on what is coming, if it’s true that the seven-year tribulation would begin.

For no one knows that no one knows that day and hour when Jesus returns. (Matt 24:36) He comes like a thief at night. (Rev 16:15,2 1 Thes 5:1-3)

And then the answer came: You are always prepared when you are with God.

If you look at every person in the book of Luke for example – beginning from Mary to the disciples of Jesus Christ – how many of them felt prepared and were prepared?

Was Mary prepared to carry the Savior of the World into this world? Was Peter prepared to preach the gospel till his own cruxifixion on the cross? Was Gideon prepared to lead only 300 men to war against thousands of men?

I believe most of them felt unprepared for what God prepared for them. Yet, the funny thing is that God has already prepared them.

How? They know God. They were only called to follow God one day at a time, moment to moment. And they did only what God says, through dreams, visions, physical manifestations, and His Word. They followed God and God led them into victory and boldness.

Hence, the most important thing is to draw close to God. Learn to discern His Voice. His Voice never go against His Word. Listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit. Cling unto Him. Walk with Him. Pray, pray, and pray. And you have nothing to fear, even if the world enters into tribulation.

But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. (Heb 5:14)

There are many practical implications of drawing close to God and learning to discern His Voice, which always follows His Word.

In the one-world economic system, currency will be abolished. People will be forced to take the mark of the beast or they cannot trade. When this happens, everything that we can pay by money now – food, cellphones, gas for our car, car maintenance, house rental, hygiene supplies, etc – are lost. We lost all purchasing power.

So, what will happen next? One way to survive is to move into the forest, to plant and to grow our own food, and to communicate without our cell phones.

Basically, we will be living like the orang asals. Come to think of it, we may be blessings to them now. But who knows if God is preparing them to be a blessing to us. Who else shall we run to for refuge and shelter?

Now, I am not making any prophecies here but reasonable speculations. Communication will be cut off. How then shall we communicate during these times of turbulence, if we were to lose each other?

Do not fear because we have the Holy Spirit in us. Wow! Can you imagine how amazing is that? If all of us listens to the Holy Spirit who tells us where to meet and at what time individually, we do not need cell phones. When technology dies, we do not need to fear because we have the Holy Spirit in us!

That is one very practical reason of learning to listen and discern the voice of God. And discernment can only come from knowing His Word, because again His Voice never go against His Word.

Also, Jesus says, “At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you ahead of time.” (Matt 24:23-25)

At first, I thought this Scripture was odd because how could people be so gullible to believe that the Messiah is back? But without telecommunication, news will only travel by hearsays and rumors. Furthermore, the distress during the end times will be so great (Matt 24:22) that we would want to believe that Jesus has returned.

Also, do you know what is most comforting to us as believers in Christ? God has told us what we can expect in the end times. Yes, they are written in the Bible for us. Hence, there is no need to fear.

We have what we need to prepare ourselves, which is His Word.

And amidst this foretelling suffering, do you know what is the most amazing thing? God’s Word still stands true. His every Word prevails!

What did God say? He says, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matt 11:28-30) He says, “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matt 28:30)

The passages above is only a fraction of what He said in the whole Bible. Can you imagine the wealth of promises that we do not know of? All His Promises still stand even during the end times.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. (Heb 13:8)

Hence, let us come as we are before our Father in Heaven. This begins by worshipping and reading the Word of God. When we read enough of God’s Word – which is unchangeable even at the end times – we are able to discern His voice, which never go against His Word.

Reading the Word of God also changes our thinking into new, godly ways of thinking. Hence, we will begin to do what the Word says. And when we do that, we are likened to building our house on the rock.

Jesus says, “As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts the into practice, I will show you what they are like. They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When the flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built.” (Luke 6:47-48)

He went on saying, “But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.” (Luke 6:49)

At the end times, if we listen to voice of the Holy Spirit and do what He says, we will surely stand in the torrent of flood.

Like how bankers examined the real bank notes to identify the fakes, we are also called to examine the Word of God to identify the lies and deceptions.

The good news is You are always prepared when you are with God.