There are many end-times watchers and prophets warning that Christ is coming soon and we better get ready to be raptured or be left behind. Their intention is good but they tend to focus on showing how the events match the Biblical prophecy and left nothing to be said about getting ready. Last Sunday sermon by Ps G on being the Pioneers to open the ways provides the answer for us on how to get ready.The Bible Reference is Isaiah 40:1-5.
1 “Comfort, comfort my people,” says your God.
2 “Speak tenderly to Jerusalem. Tell her that her sad days are gone and her sins are pardoned.
Yes, the Lord has punished her twice over for all her sins.”
3 Listen! It’s the voice of someone shouting,
- “Clear the way through the wilderness for the Lord!
- Make a straight highway through the wasteland for our God!
- 4 Fill in the valleys, and
- level the mountains and hills.
- Straighten the curves, and smooth out the rough places.
The Pastor spoke about John the Baptist as the forerunner of Christ.
To me, it speaks of us, as the John the Baptist generation, preparing the paths to welcome the 2nd coming of Christ.
We often wonder how are we to keep watch for the 2nd coming of Christ. That's the way. Laying the paths, clearing the obstacles, breaking down all lofty ideas against God, bringing the Good News Gospels to the rest of the world, including the concrete wilderness in the midst of us.
When is the end time?
Matthew 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
We learned two things from the above verse:
- We are called to bring the good news and disciple the nations (The Great Commission Matthew 28:16-20)
- We, the believers, determine when Christ will come again!
If we don't go out then Christ won't come. Some preachers erroneously believe that the church would be in a bad shape, that of Laodicea when Christ came again. That is a bad interpretation of the Bible. The Revelation Churches represent seven types of churches in different locations. Interpreting them as seven stages of church history is just an interpretation and it is not correct. The bride prepares herself to welcome the bridegroom in common sense. So, the church will be in good shape to receive Christ when He comes again.
1. Share the Gospel - The Good News of God's salvation of men.
v1 says "Comfort my people". That's the good news we have. John 3:16. v2 tells us that men's sins are forgiven. The punishments were placed upon Jesus at the cross. We can now have great joy.
2. Speak Tenderly.
There are preachers who preach the hell and fire message to scare people to receive Christ. That is one way. For the present time, we need to earn the right to speak and be heard. The Bible is about grace and truth. Grace first before the truth. If we fail to earn the right to speak, our message will just be discarded. We earn our rights by love and care.
3. Clear the Way and Make a Path to reach them
The preacher shared the following four obstacles:
1. Mountains - They block our visions. So we only focus on the present. We are nearsighted. So we create all kinds of idols and illogical reasons to try to understand the present difficulties against the knowledge of God. They represent the false religions, 2 Cor 10:5.
2. The valleys represent the difficult and challenging times of our lives. Ps 23:4, Ps 84:6. We have the Shepherd with us but they have none. Need to share with them.
3. The Crooked Paths - They took the long and winding roads (cheating) in life instead of the straight and right ways of the Lord.
4. The Rough Places represent the crises, and accidents, in life. They need the grace of God to have peace, presence, and power in life. John 16:33.
The equipment and weapons for us to achieve the above work are The Armor of God.
The church is to work together with Eph 5:11-12 shows us that the Church has the Five-Fold ministries (Strategic Job Roles) of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. In Rom 12:6-13 and 1 Cor 12:28, we find other job roles. e.g. healers, miracle workers, helpers/ Servers, organizers /rulers/managers, givers, exhorters (coaches?), and those that Sheweth-mercy. All work together in unity as members of the body of Christ to build each other up into maturity and fullness in Christ. Eph 4:13.
Don't spend too much time watching the events leading to the end times. Spend time in preparation, and laying the paths, to welcome the coming King.
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