Be Prepared


    I used to attend Central Michigan University, and I remember a young man standing out in front of the library which I visited frequently.  He was always holding a sign and shouting at students as they entered the building say, "Repent, the kingdom of God is at hand."  It was an annoying 'in-your-face' way of sharing the truth, and the approach seemed to barely make a dent in the conversions of college students to change their course.  Many ignored his rants.  Most would not have agreed with his method of sharing this vital message.  But he was truly convicted and prepared to meet his Maker.

     When would the word “many” or even “most” alarm you?  These words so often are used in the context of agreeing with one another.  Agreement most often means that many of us would look favorable at these words.  But in the context of Matthew 24, these words reveal the grim reality that we live in a very lost world.  In four short verses, the word “many” is recorded six times in my English Standard Version translation, and none of these references are favorable. 
    •   In verse 5, “For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray.”
    •  In verse 10, “And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another.”
    •  In verse 11, “And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray.”
    •  In verse 12, “And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.”
In my Bible, all of these references are recorded in red letters, because they are the very words of Jesus.
     Jesus is answering the questions his disciples have to give them a clearer picture of how one might discern that the time has come for Jesus to return.  “Many” of us may be able to recall the words of what Jesus told them to look for, the varying degrees of trials and tribulations that would come upon humanity.  But in between these descriptive signs, Jesus provides instructions to believers.
    •           See that no one leads you astray,
    •           See that you are not alarmed (by rumors),
    •           The one who endures to the end will be saved,
    •           Let the reader understand (one must be in Scriptures to gain insight),
    •           For the sake of the elect, those days will be cut short (God mercy will be displayed), and
    •           Even the elect may be led astray
And some conclusions:
    •        Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day the LORD is coming, and
    •        Therefore, you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.
Rather than reciting the signs to one another, might we focus more closely at the instructions we’ve been given.


     Jesus gave his disciples the signs of the seasons as a reminder that there are things to look for, knowing that a new season is at hand.  Jesus uses the fig tree in his illustration.  Many of us can also look outside our own windows and relate to what Jesus was saying.  The trees outside are bursting with beautiful white and pink blossoms.  Experience tells us that green leaves will soon take their place, and yellow pollen will coat our outdoor patio furnishings.  We have a beautiful lavender azalea bush located outside by our front door.  It is brightly adorned with beautiful flowers that, within a day or two, will fall like snow on the sidewalk.  The daffodils have quickly sprung up from the soil to display pale yellow flowers that will quickly wilt.  The signs of Spring are here without much warning; these signs will come and go.

     There can also be much confusion in signs.  This morning I noticed my potted Christmas cactus has decided to flourish four months past its due date.  For the life of me, we couldn’t get it to bloom at Christmas even though we followed all the recommended steps in preparation.  It is not the first time I’ve experienced the flowering of a plant out of season.  There has been several times that my plants have flowered out-of-season, like following the loss of a loved one.  I’ve taken that as a reassuring sign that all is well with their souls.  As much as we might believe that something carries a particular meaning, only God can reveal the truth.  Like the signs we are experiencing with this pandemic.

     The purpose of sharing this is to say be prepared even when signs are confusing.  What Jesus has said will come to pass.  When one looks at Scriptures, they will attest that God is good at His Word.  He gives us appropriate warning.  Each day of our lives will be filled with distractions, things that take us away from thoughts of God, and what He has called us to do.  In the 24th Chapter of Matthew, the main thing is to pay attention to how we are fulfilling the assignment Jesus has given to be prepared servants.  Not everything that happens around us will bring us comfort or pleasure.  This is the hope of the world.  Jesus wants to find us working and prepared for His return.  We are called to feed the gospel to the lost souls around us.  “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time?  Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.  (Matthew 24:45-46, ESV) What is distracting your preparedness?

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