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Be Prepared

1/24/2012

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_         Yesterday, while driving home from dropping off my son at preschool, an idea came to me for another post.  I felt so strongly about it that I couldn’t wait to get home and start typing.  When I got home I went right to my computer, turned it on, and then started typing out a few paragraphs.  Well, when my fingers are going too fast I tend to hit buttons I didn’t want to, so when the “Do you wish to save” prompt came up I thought I accidentally hit something I didn’t want to.  So, instead of clicking, “Yes” (which would have been the smart thing), I hit cancel.  Then the program shut down followed by my computer.  Apparently I had missed the fact that my computer wanted to update itself and was getting ready to reboot.  I lost what I was writing.

            Ok, well, that didn’t make me happy, but I decided to write it again, but put a different spin on it.  I started typing up my first sentence when my husband called.  He read about a few tricks I could try to get back my original data.  I tried the first one, it didn’t work, and when I was trying to explain to him what was on my computer he couldn’t hear me since my phone has been acting up lately.  Then we got into a little tiff and decided to end the phone call.  Because I was upset with him I was no longer in the mood to write this post.  I just didn’t “feel it” at the moment.

            Looking back I knew why that all happened.  The post I was writing was all about being prepared.  We don’t know when the end will come, for even Jesus said, “No one knows the hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” (Mt 24:36)  Even He was not privy to this information while He was on the earth.  But He warns us to be prepared.  “So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect Him.” (Mt 24:44)  “Behold, I come like a thief!  Blessed is he who stays awake and keeps his clothes with him, so that he may not go naked and be shamefully exposed.” (Rev 16:15). 

            When the time does come, will we be ready?  At that time Satan will be unleashed and allowed to do what he wants.  Those who have not prepared because they have accepted Christ but have not learned from Him, or those who are still sitting on the fence about Him, or even still those who want nothing to do with Him or don’t believe He’s even real will be deceived.  No matter where a person fits in to all that, if they’re not ready, not prepared, then they may miss out.  And, if they have not enriched their knowledge by God’s words, reading them, learning from them, taking them in, then they may be seduced by the power of Satan when he comes.  The anti-Christ, empowered by Satan himself, will come and show many, as those unprepared would call it, miracles.  They will not realize that it’s pure evil that is happening in front of them.

            “The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise his authority for forty-two months.  He opened his mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander His name and His dwelling place and those who live in heaven.  He was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them.  And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation.  All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world.” (Rev 13:5-8)

            In Revelation, the vision John was given, we read that “a third of mankind was killed by the three plagues of fire, smoke and sulfur that came out of [the horses] mouths.” (Rev 9:18).  And after that happened, “The rest of mankind that were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands.” (Rev 9:20)  Their vision has been skewed.  They didn’t get what’s going on, and they won’t get it.  When the time comes, how many people will receive, willingly, the mark of the beast?  “He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead.” (Rev 13:16).  “This calls for wisdom.  If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man’s number.  His number is 666.” (Rev 13:18)

            Many people have their own ideas about what this number means, but no one knows the answer.  What we need to do is read the Bible, breathe it, and pray.  Pray always.  Because when we are in Him, when we search Him, we will get our answer when the time comes.  There’s no use pointing fingers here or there.  Unless it’s revealed to us by God through our time with Him we will not have this knowledge.  Be prepared.  The time will come, and we don’t know when it will happen.

            There are people today who do not believe any of this.  Some don’t even believe in Satan or hell.  My husband said to me one day, something that he had heard before, “The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he does not exist.”  It’s a quote by poet Charles Pierre Baudelaire.  There is evil all around us.  We can’t pretend it’s not there.  We need to combat it with prayer, with Scripture (as Jesus did when he was tempted by the devil), and with our faith and trust in Jesus Christ.  Only He can protect us.  Only He can clear our vision and show us the truth.  With Him we will not be deceived.

            So, getting back to why I was unable to write what I wanted to yesterday, I believe that someone didn’t want it written.  Well, too bad for him.  I am a follower of Christ.  I am building my life in Him, and through Him I will accomplish all that He wants for me.

            Be prepared.

 

 

May our eyes be opened to all the wonders of God, and may we all make preparations each day, filling our lives with His words, with His Light.  May our vision be clear, and may He grant us the knowledge and wisdom we need now and always to combat every evil that comes our way.  And may we all be invited to the wedding feast.  “Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” (Rev 19:9)

1 Comment
yuri mangas link
7/25/2012 01:20:09 pm

Found this from the Weebly directory, great blog.

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    I am a wife and a mother of four children, a girl (15), and 3 boys (14, 11 and 3).  I am a Christian and attend a local church which I enjoy.  I've learned that nothing matters if it takes you away from your focus on Christ, and the boundaries we set, keeping Him out of certain areas of our lives, are useless.  Christ should be in every thing, and without Him we are nothing and have nothing.

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