Prepared
Some things in life you just have to think ahead for. If the air conditioning in my house dies, it's not wise of me to wait for the summer heat to kick in to consider fixing it. I need to do the necessary steps in advance to ensure that when summer does come, I'm ready for it. What regret I will feel if I wait!
The Bible talks about being ready for things in advance - like the storms and troubles in life. God does not delight in seeing people destroyed by the storms. So He tells us the necessary steps to take so that when the storms do come, we aren't destroyed by them. His Wisdom is like a Voice crying out in the streets saying, "Build your life on Me, the Firm Foundation! So when the storms come, your life will not be swept away by them!"
The Bible also tells us to be ready for an amazing event that has yet to take place - His Second Coming. One day, He will crack the sky and come back, just as He promised. We can count on it - even more than we can count on the summer heat hitting in the middle of July. The Bible tells us that He will come so quickly, we won't have time to repent and turn back to Him in that moment. He will come as a thief in the night, in the twinkling of an eye. We cannot wait until the moment of His Arrival to then decide whether we want to be part of His precious flock. We must decide now and be ready for Him.
But listen, God isn't trying to scare us into a relationship with Him. He is just telling us very plainly what we can expect, because He loves us and He doesn't want to see us crying out to Him on that Day and wishing we had come to Him sooner.
So, as we consider all the preparations we make in life such as being ready for the seasons to change, and the holidays to come, and the retirement to happen...Let us consider the most important preparation of all...our life beyond this earthly one.
“For as the lightning flashes in the east and shines to the west, so it will be when the Son of Man comes. 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. And he will send out his angels with the mighty blast of a trumpet, and they will gather his chosen ones from all over the world —from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven.
"Now learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branches bud and its leaves begin to sprout, you know that summer is near. In the same way, when you see all these things, you can know his return is very near, right at the door. I tell you the truth, this generation will not pass from the scene until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will disappear,
but my words will never disappear.
"However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows.
"When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. People didn’t realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes.
"Two men will be working together in the field; one will be taken, the other left. Two women will be grinding flour at the mill;
one will be taken, the other left.
"So you, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming.
Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming,
he would keep watch and not permit his house to be broken into.
You also must be ready all the time,
for the Son of Man will come when least expected.”
Matthew 24:27-44 NLT
http://bible.com/116/mat.24.27-44.nlt
“For as the lightning flashes in the east and shines to the west, so it will be when the Son of Man comes. 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. And he will send out his angels with the mighty blast of a trumpet, and they will gather his chosen ones from all over the world —from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven.
"Now learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branches bud and its leaves begin to sprout, you know that summer is near. In the same way, when you see all these things, you can know his return is very near, right at the door. I tell you the truth, this generation will not pass from the scene until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will disappear,
but my words will never disappear.
"However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows.
"When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. People didn’t realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes.
"Two men will be working together in the field; one will be taken, the other left. Two women will be grinding flour at the mill;
one will be taken, the other left.
"So you, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming.
Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming,
he would keep watch and not permit his house to be broken into.
You also must be ready all the time,
for the Son of Man will come when least expected.”
Matthew 24:27-44 NLT
http://bible.com/116/mat.24.27-44.nlt
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