Prepare to Meet Him
This could be easily overlooked, especially if we don’t stop to examine what may be hidden away in the depths of our heart. Do we really want His Kingdom to reign directly over us? Are we truly ready to meet Him face to face? There is quite a distance in the Bible between Adam and Eve who hid from God and those whom Paul says, “love His appearing.” Part of being prepared, therefore, is making sure that there is nothing left in our hearts that would secretly want Jesus not to come!
Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?" Revelation 6:15-17
All scripture citations are from the English Standard Version (ESV) unless otherwise noted.
End Times Challenge
Jesus’ arrival in Person will reveal a sharp division: Only those who are already fully surrendered to Him as Lord will love His appearing. All the rest will try to hide. Get ready for this by making sure your heart even now wants Him looking in on your every moment.
Bridal Response
Step 1. Pray!
This must be repeated with every new challenge, because our usual reaction is to look to past experience and our abilities and say, “No way!” or try slugging it out bravely in our own strength. We all-too-easily forget that our strength is in Him, our hope is in Him—not in ourselves. So, if the Holy Spirit is making us aware (waking us up) to a fresh challenge, then the first thing the Lord wants us to do is cast that care on Jesus, because He cares for us enough to help us with it.[1] Pray, therefore, until fear and doubt fall away. Jesus is willing and able to help us with anything, that’s why He guarantees in scripture that if we call on Him, He will rescue/save/help us every time.[2] How much do you have to call? Cry out in prayer until you receive confidence that He has heard you and the help is on the way.
Step 2. Fully Surrender Now!
That truth is that anything in us that is not fully surrendered to Jesus is in rebellion against Him. And there is something “implanted” in all of us that is fully on the side of the Great Rebellion. It is Satan’s masterpiece: Self. Living with Self at the center is his way of ruling on the earth through us. If we follow Self, rather than Jesus, we are following the evil one in disguise—wearing the mask of our own self-will. We usually do this from the fear that if we get too close to Jesus, we will have to do His will, rather than our own. That’s the whole idea! Self-will and the love of Self that powers it, is at the heart of the pride-rebellion that Jesus will one Day arrive to abolish. If you don’t want Him to do that for you now, how will you be ready for His arrival?
We have been commanded by Jesus—if we want to be His disciples—to deny self, take up our cross daily and follow Him.[3] If we aren’t denying Self, if we aren’t taking up the cross of doing His will rather than our own, then we aren’t following Him. How can we know? His peace is only given to us when we are doing His will His way.[4] His will for us in all things is to trust Him with what He allows (in our lives and our loved ones) and to trust Him enough to listen and obey His leadings.[5] Such a life requires full surrender to Him as our Lord. This is an on-going work. Jesus says that it is something we are to do daily. Eventually, we are increasingly purified by such a life of yielded love that we will become that holy Bride who loves His appearing.
Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing. 2 Timothy 4:8
Next Way to Prepare
Prepare to Join the Rescue Possibly, everyone’s first thought about the Last Days is how to either avoid or survive the Tribulation. Then, we may shift our focus to the lovely reality of Jesus being down here with us. Concern for the Great Harvest at the end of the age might be low on a lot of lists. We can be sure, however, that it’s high on the Lord’s. In fact, we’re told that the Lord is delaying His Return into order to save as many as possible before things come to a screeching halt. No one will make it through the Tribulation by trying to save themselves alone. Heartily joining this colossal, divine effort to save others is the way forward. Get ready for that now.
Free Downloads
Signs of the Second Coming (36-page eBook)
Signs of Christ's Return (2-page Handout)
Ways to Prepare (37-page eBook)
Endnotes
[1] Pride (in us) tries to find the answer to life’s challenges in us; humility casts all cares on the One who wants to help us: Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:6-7
[2] This promise is given numerous times in scripture. The Lord wants us to know His help is always available to anyone who calls on Him for anything—lavishly available (“bestowing His riches”). For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him: For "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." Romans 10:12-13
[3] And he said to all, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. Luke 9:23
[4] The Lord tells us that there is no peace for the wicked. His kingdom’s peace is only given to those who yield to Him as their King. Although we have yielded in general (and by lip service) to Jesus as Savior and Lord, our moment by moment rebellion is not allowed any true peace, because rebellion to His leadership over us is “wicked.” "There is no peace," says the LORD, "for the wicked." Isaiah 48:22 ESV; However, there is plenty of peace for us if we yield and let Him “rule” over us: And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Colossians 3:15
[5] Ia 26:3 You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Isaiah 26:3