I have been thinking a lot about this topic in the past year. It's no secret that the world as we knew it has drastically changed in the last year and a half. Things we never dreamed that would ever transpire in OUR country have now taken place and continue to do so at an alarming rate. Our freedoms and our rights are slowly being stripped from us.
While all that is quite concerning, those of us who have been "in this way" long enough should be able to recognize that all the events and the current happenings in the world are just a prequisite of things to come. The rapture of the church is imminent. Every day, there are more and more things happening and ancient prophecies being fulfilled. As believers, it is no time to be caught up with this old world and its glitz and glamour. We have no time to nurse petty grievances or to entertain worldly distractions. We must awaken out of our spiritual slumber. It is high time that we shake ourselves. Our redemption is drawing nigh. We must get ready for our bridegroom's return.
But not only should thoughts of that "quick catching away" and the current global events motivate us to stay "rapture ready", but also, the realization that our lives have expiration dates. No one lives forever. From the day we are born, we start to die. Since the fall of man in the beginning, that has become a fact of life.
We never know just when "our allotted time" is up. Hebrews 9:27 tells us-- And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgement.
The Bible tells us that our life is like a vapor, It appeareth for a little time, then vanisheth away. (see James 4:14 for verse)
As a young person, I never really dwelt on thoughts of death. I thought it too morbid for thought. Sure, I recognized that people die. I knew it paid to be ready to meet the Lord. But it sure wasn't something that I sat around and thought about very often. But as I have gotten older, thoughts of death and the world beyond have become less distant. I don't know if it has to do with aging or perhaps, it has much to do with seeing the way the world is going, but now, I often find myself doing a lot of soul searching. It's not that I am blatantly disobeying the Word of God, nor am I willingly sinning. Absolutely not! That would be the farthest thing from my mind, but I AM smart enough to recognize that the enemy of our souls is the master of deception. He would love nothing more than to deceive "the very elect" (or the saints sitting on a church pew).
We must remain sober and vigilant. It's no time to let down our guard now. We must continually search our hearts to make sure we are "rapture ready" -- We only have one shot at this! There aren't any "do-overs". The Bible tells us in Ecclesiastes 11:3-- ...in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be... ( in other words, how you live and die will determine your destiny. As a tree falls, so shall it lay.)
None of us are promised tomorrow. We must live each day as if it is going to be our last...
I found this little thought: (May I encourage you to read it and really ponder its message.)
“Every minute someone leaves this world behind.
We are all in “the line” without knowing it.
We never know how many people are before us.
We can not move to the back of the line. We can not step out of the line. We can not avoid the line. So while we wait in line –
Make moments count. Make priorities. Make the time. Make your gifts known. Make a nobody feel like a somebody. Make your voice heard. Make the small things big. Make someone smile. Make the change. Make love. Make up. Make peace. Make sure to tell your people they are loved. Make sure to have no regrets. Make sure you are ready.” -Author Unknown
That is so true. In the end, it isn't going to matter what kind of career we had, what kind of house we lived in, nor what kind of car we drove. It won't matter if we were popular or if we possessed a lot of material things.
The only things that are going to matter then are the eternal things.
Were we pursuing a right relationship with God?
Or were we unconcerned about our spiritual condition?
Were we working FOR His Kingdom?
Or were we busy working to advance
our own agenda.
Were we laying up treasures in Heaven?
Or were we more consumed with gaining our own treasures on earth?
Were we caring and kind?
Or were we vindictive and bitter?
Were we found "building up" others?
Or were we guilty of "tearing down" others to make ourselves look better?
Were we concerned about being
pleasing TO God?
Or were we more concerned
about pleasing our own flesh?
Were we willing to "do whatever it took"
to make it?
Or were we resistant to allowing
the Spirit to have full authority of our life?
Were we willing to "surrender everything"
to God?
Or did we try to hold back part?
These questions will be answered
postmortem FOR us....by God Himself.
I, for one, want to search myself while there is still time to make a change.
I want to my answers to be FOR GOD, not against Him, or in pursuit of my own pleasure.
We must allow the spotlight of Heaven to shine in the deep recesses of our heart and illuminate any dark spots. We can, by God's help, make some changes if there is something unlike Him or His ways found in our hearts. We just have to be willing to be searched...and willing to repent and make a change. I would much rather discover a transgression, mistake, or error on this side, while I can still get it under the Blood.
I don't want to "be in denial" and refuse to search my heart on this side and then show up at judgement and find I wasn't as ready as I thought I was. I don't want to be like those people in the Bible that cried out how they prophesied in His name, cast out devils in His name and did many mighty works, yet at Judgement, God said that He never knew them (or in other words, He never approved them)...I want to be right on this side!
If anybody sees me in a fault, please love me enough to warn me. I WANT to be right with God. I don't want to be too prideful or too haughty to take correction/instruction.
I want to make it to Heaven! I want to live each day with one eye on eternity. I want to live my life FOR GOD! Not just FOR myself.
No one has ever regretted whole hearted surrender to God! He is more than enough! HE is ALL we NEED!! The temporal things of this old world will pass away! But it’s the eternal things that will last forever!
We just have to allow God to have the reins of our life and allow His Spirit to have full control!
I want to get ready and STAY ready!
I want to encourage us all to refocus on the things that really matter!
In the end, it’s isn’t going to be “things” or possessions that matter. Our relationships with others and most importantly, our relationship with God, are the true matters that we should be working on. We never know what a day may bring…
we must live today so we will have no regrets tomorrow!
From my heart to yours,
-Tiphanie ❤️
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