Are You Ready?

As we roll through 2011, 63 years after the founding of the nation of Israel (think of those 70 "weeks" of Daniel), with the world being prepared to accept a global economy (and thus a world government) ... the three key nations of the final battle of Armaggedon forming a union in front of our very eyes (Russia, China, Iran) ... all the nations of the world pressuring for Jerusalem to be divided ... a proposed UN vote coming up on Palestinian statehood in late September ... three comets coming through our solar system and near to earth now (Honda) and over the next few months (Elenin and Levy) ... a series of unusual lunar and solar eclipses occurring, significantly enough, over the coming seven years ... It makes me wonder:

Am I  ready to go when Jesus makes the call? Am I really ready to be "raptured"?

I think just about anyone who calls Jesus "Lord" will say confidently, "Sure, I'm ready now!"

But are we really ready?

I ask because Jesus warns us several times throughout the gospels that we need to "be ready" for when He calls us. He even says that some will not be ready. For example:

“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day that your Lord will come . . . So you must be ready, because the Son of man will come at an hour when you do not expect him” (Matt. 24:42, 44 NIV emphasis mine).

And in Matthew 25, we see the foolish virgins who were not ready (with oil for their lamps) when the Lord arrived, and they were left out of the feast.

And in Mark 13:25 He says: "Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back--whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn."

So, we need to be ready, mentally, spiritually, and most importantly, in our relationship with The Lord Jesus Christ.

I don't believe it will be like in the "Left Behind" series, that suddenly people go "poof" and they just unexpectedly disappear "in the twinkling of an eye".  If that's the case, where does readiness fit in, and how will we know we are ready?



I do believe we will indeed be "changed in the twinkling of an eye", as Paul says in I Cor 15.  But I also believe we will have to be ready for it, and make a decision about it, instantly, right then and there. It won't just happen to us as we're mindlessly driving down the street, then, "poof", the next thing we know we're in Glory. Where does readiness fit in that scenario?

I think of it more like a jailbreak, like Peter in Acts 12, where the angel wakes him up in prison the night before he is to be executed, and the angel has him first put on his clothes and wrap his outer garment around himself. Then the angel says "Follow me".

Okay, stop here for a second.

Here's the thing: It wasn't "poof" and Peter was suddenly knocking at the door where the disciples were praying. No, there was a process, and Peter was ready to go through it. He gave no resistance. There was nothing in the prison that would compel him to stay. Nothing more important than the Lord. He followed the angel.

I believe that model is more in line with Jesus' command to "be ready." Be ready to make the choice to go with the angel, with no hesitation!

Why would you hesitate, you might be wondering? I don't know. Maybe you would hesitate because your kids are not with you, nor your spouse. Or maybe you just got an amazing new job and you can't just up and leave it. Or maybe you don't want to abandon your house, or your land, or just leave your new car there on the highway.

Or maybe you suddenly get cold feet. Or maybe your team is about to score and win the championship and you just need a few minutes to see it through? And maybe, just maybe, you are so consumed by things of this world that the Lord's trumpet and his voice do not really register with you at that moment.  What's that noise? Oh, probably just a commotion in the street. Back to the game.

In other words, maybe there are things in your life that can, at least in certain circumstances, take on more importance than following the Lord. You need look at that -- I need to look at that -- and be sure about our readiness to follow Him when the call comes. No hesitation. No doubt. No conditions.

Remember Jesus telling us in Luke 9 about those who had conditions about following him? They said things like,  "Let me first go bury my father" ... "Let me say goodbye to my family." "Let me go check on my property" They were not ready. Nor was the rich young man who was unwilling to give all his wealth to the poor (Lk 18: 18-24).  

Is there anything you would not give up, or drop instantly for the Lord? Your health? Your precious children? Your income? Your house and your possessions? Your talent? Your standing in the community? Well, if you're not ready to give them up -- right now -- then maybe you will not be ready to answer God's call.

Peter was ready. Paul, when he talked excitedly about being changed "in the twinkling of an eye" was clearly ready. But are you? Am I?

As in a jailbreak, we know our Savior is coming. We just don't know when. But we need to be waiting, vigilant, eager, engaged-but-unattached to the world around us ... and we need to be ready to drop it all instantly and GO.  THEN, and only then, we will be changed "in the twinkling of an eye".

I think the Bible is very clear about that. Get your relationship with The Lord in order. Make sure He and only He is number one in your life, that your love for him makes your love of your family and everything else in this world seem like "hate" (Lk 14:26).

When He comes and calls you, will you be ready to drop it all -- everyone and everything -- and go?

Are you ready?