The Lord has been depositing pieces of this post in me all day today, I hope I remember most of what He has told me.
The two things I have been impressed with, that will be covered in this post:
1. Our Lord makes a way where there is no way.
2. Be Ready.
Our Lord makes a way where there is no way.
Our God specializes in making a way, a path forward at times and in places where there seems to be no way. For example, the Red Sea was parted at just the right time for the Israelites to cross it and the Egyptians to die in it. At a time when nobody thought there was any way out, or any way through the situation, our God made a way.
Again, with Lazarus being raised from the dead, everyone except Jesus in that place thought "there's no way" and Jesus said there is a way. Lazarus rose from the dead. The water that changed to wine, the 4,000 fed where there was no way to get food for 4,000 (except the Lord's way) and the examples go on and on.
Please stop to ask yourself today, why all these examples were placed in the bible? Was it to entertain you? Was it to make for better reading? Was it to tell you how great other people can do things? No, no, and no. Everything that was written in the Word of God was written to you and for you. That book, that Word is our life, it is our owner's manual, it is our guidebook, and rulebook, and cousel. It is our life. So, again, why were all those miracles performed and how does it impact you?
John 14:12 I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.
We were shown the miracles so we would believe and so we can believe and see better things in our own lives. Or have we forgotten "He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father." Was Jesus kidding around with us? Was He not telling the truth? No, He said it because He meant it, question is, do we believe it?
Our God makes a way where there seems to be no way. Every promise our Lord has made to us in the Word, is ironclad FACT. The promises are made reality through faith and belief.
Hebrews 6:12
... Then, instead of being lazy, you will imitate those who are
inheriting the promises through faith and patience.
There are people today who are inheriting many of the promises that other people are not inheriting, because they believe, they have faith, and they are waiting patiently. I'm not the one who said we inherit the promises through faith and patience, our Lord said that. Which promises? ALL OF THEM. Sometimes the Lord answers slowly, sometimes He answers in the blink of an eye. How and when are the Lord's province when it comes to the answer to prayer. Our part is the "what" we are asking for and the faith and patience to wait for/"inherit" the answer.
2. Be Ready
Luke 12“Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, 36like men waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. 37It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. I tell you the truth, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. 38It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the second or third watch of the night. 39But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. 40You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”
41Peter asked, “Lord, are you telling this parable to us, or to everyone?”
42The Lord answered, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time? 43It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns. 44I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 45But suppose the servant says to himself, ‘My master is taking a long time in coming,’ and he then begins to beat the menservants and maidservants and to eat and drink and get drunk. 46The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers.
47“That servant who knows his master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what his master wants will be beaten with many blows. 48But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.
For years now, there have been many people who have predicted month after month, and year after year that something (pick an event) would happen that would be the end of life on earth, at least life as we know it. So far, they have all been wrong. There were people predicting economic collapse in September, they have been predicting war with Iran for years now, and the list goes on. They have been wrong every single time. Has the economy been bad? Yes. Is this the first time the world has seen a recession/depression? NO. The world has never seen a time like we are seeing today, but couldn't the same reasoning be used during WW2? The last depression? WW1? The civil war? The time of the Roman Empire? Each time, at that time, the events of the day had been traumatic and unseen up till that time.
The event that will change life as everyone knows it on this earth, will be the escape from all promised in Luke 21:36, Thessalonians, Rev 3-4 etc. This "escape" is also known as "the rapture." Call it whatever you want. What we call this event matters not, what matters is, its coming. When? I have no idea. My point here in writing this is the point made by our Lord in Luke 12. BE READY. Ok, but when? If we are told to be ready but we are not told when to be ready, does it not stand the reasoning test that it means we are to be ready ALWAYS? Yes, that makes perfect sense. We are to be ready for our Lord to show up ALWAYS so we can IMMEDIATELY (the Lord's Word not mine) open the door for Him. There's that "door" again that we read about in Matt 25 (parable of the virgins) and Rev 4 (the opening of the "door" in heaven.)
There are people in the world today who call themselves "christians" who teach you that there is no need to be ready for the Lord's return today. These are the "pre-wrath" and the "mid-trib" and "post-trib" preachers and teachers. For them, being ready for the Lord's return right now is utter non-sense. These people's doctrine basically say that the Lord is a liar. The Lord tells us to be ready today and every day, these "teachers" tell you that the Lord cannot come back until some future time, like the appearance of anti-christ, or the middle of the tribulation, or the signing of the "peace deal" with Israel, or a host of other times. With these false teachers and preachers, being ready now is nonsense.
The bible tells us to be dressed with readiness for the Lord's return EVERY DAY. That means NOW, today, not tomorrow or some other day in the future. Read the Bible for yourselves. What you believe about such things could mean the difference between life and death. It could mean the difference between suffering through the tribulation or being "in the ark" with the Lord (Luke 17, Matt 24).
The "pre-wrath/mid-trib/post-trib" crowd has been issued a warning:
Luke 12:47“That servant who knows his master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what his master wants will be beaten with many blows. 48But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.
These people KNOW the Master's will, yet they elevate their false doctrines over the Master's will. The Master told us specifically BE READY..NOW, and they blow that command off with a wave of their hand as if they had not been told. These people will be beaten with many blows.
This issue does not need debate. There is NO COMPELLING REASON not to be ready today and every day for the Lord's return. If you are ready EVERY DAY, then you will not be surprised and ashamed on "that day" when the Lord shows up so..... "be ready" ....every day. Be prepared to wait for years, but do not be surprised if our Lord comes to meet us tonight.
done for today, grace and peace.
Be Anxious For Nothing
6 years ago