Did you ever consider: what if all this “biblical truth” is in front of your eyes, not to condemn you, but to reach you out of love? Have you ever experienced this situation with a friend? You saw something that was harmful to them, they may know it too, but they don’t want to accept it. You try to encourage them out of love (because you care about them) encouraging them in a different direction, but they won’t accept what you are saying and they keep doing what you know is, or will be, harmful to them if they keep going in the same direction. What if God loves you so much that it hurts Him to see what’s happening in your life because He knows the ultimate outcome and He doesn’t want you to experience it? One fact I know is true: God works through people in our lives, there are no “coincidences,” things happen for a reason, this reason: to fulfill God’s will. God will work all things (even the bad stuff) for the ultimate good in His people’s lives.
I just had another “coincidence” occur: people saying the same thing I was thinking but didn’t want to accept. This morning I prayed to God and asked Him to point me to relevant scripture that He wants to be shared and when I opened the bible, it happened again (another affirmation) what if this is the truth? I opened the Bible to this: The left page was this (Acts 8:20 – 32) and the right page was this (Acts 8:33-Acts: 9:11). As I was linking Acts 9:11 just now, I mixed up the numbers accidently and entered Acts 1:9-11! Read it! Wow.
If you read any of my prior posts, you may notice the underlying “truth” which I’m hesitant to express, but weighs heavily on me. What if we truly don’t have much time ahead of us? Are you prepared? Am I prepared? How much time do we have to get prepared? I can’t answer how much time we have, but I can share that I feel a sense of urgency and I have a hard time accepting it, but it only keeps being affirmed: by the bible and by religious leaders (Pastors, Rabbis and Muslims). This situation is like a child having a great time playing on a playground and the parent calling the child, saying it’s time to go. Some children obey willingly and other children throw a temper tantrum because they are not ready. This represents all of us, right now! We are the children and God is calling us. Which child are you? (I was the temper tantrum child, I’ll be honest about it, but I’ve accepted it now and I’m not sad about it. I’m prepared to “leave the playground,” because something better is waiting for me and you, if you believe.)
These are the words that I’ve been hearing lately: “It’s not going to get better.” Who wants to hear that? None of us! Why do you think I didn’t want to accept it? Those who read scripture (Christians, Jewish and Muslims) are all saying the same thing right now. I’ve listened to each. That’s one subject all faiths agree upon. It is concerning because, as a Christian, I believe the bible after reading it: prior predictions (prophesies) came true, many other reasons (I wrote about here) and the purpose (2 Timothy 3) of the bible is very clear to me.
I searched the bible, not accepting what religious leaders said, I didn’t trust them. I wanted to know what does the bible teach us about “getting ready”? It’s pretty simple actually: “come as you are” with a desire of seeking God, understanding the truth and a willingness to let God lead your life. We are not perfect people and we will never be (until God completes us and gives us immortal bodies- yes that will happen). But right now, don’t worry about “cleaning up” your life before willfully giving the rest of your life to God, if you do that, you will be setting yourself up for a long struggle, don’t waste your time: Commit to God while your life is still messed up, God’s power will help your life get cleaned up. What’s impossible for us is possible with God (Luke 18:27). Jesus called this process “being born again” (John 3). This is simply making a decision.
If you choose to commit to God, believe in Jesus and let the Holy Spirit lead your life, you have nothing to fear about the future. God has incredible plans for our future; it’s something to be excited about. (John 14 and Revelation 21 and Revelation 22)
Once you make the decision, stay connected to God because you will need Him to succeed: pray as often as possible, take time to study the bible (know what’s in it so you don’t believe lies), find other people who have made the same choice as you for encouragement when times get tough (gather together), and get a bible if you don’t have one. Currently, we have internet access to bibles, but what if we don’t someday? We need to know what is in it, so we aren’t manipulated in the future. I was told about a study bible which I bought and have shared with other people who found it helpful. It is helpful because it includes many common questions (the top 100 most asked questions) and biblical answers to them. Here is a link to the study bible I have, if you want one?
It is time to prepare.
S.A.I.L. 