What are we waiting for?

Today is the final day to discuss the end of the following message that I believe I received from the Lord several days ago (see highlight).  

Just when you think the world is at peace, I will call you to rise up, take up your cross and enter a battle. Bring nothing with you, for I have prepared a mighty army that will fight on your behalf. You are now living in the world’s darkest hour and just before I raise My hand in judgement. I will smite the nations that do not honor Me. But you will be spared if you embrace My Truth as your most sacred armament. Avoid the entanglements of the world, for it will soon pass away. Watch, and be ready, for then I will come for you.  

Watch, and be ready, for then I will come for you.  

As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. Matthew 24:37-44 NIV

I have always believed that this passage Jesus referred to has to do with the Rapture of the Church and not the Second Coming (which I believe occurs AFTER the 7 Years Tribulation). At the Second Coming, people may be surprised, but they will expect Him if they have been reading and understanding Bible Prophecy and obviously living through the tribulation (Christians left behind especially will know it is the anti-Christ and recognize the mark of the Beast!). But, whenever the time period, the main message of the above Scripture is that Jesus is coming at an hour that could take us all by surprise and it could happen at any moment. (Note: An excellent movie about the Rapture and end times is Left Behind. You can watch the whole thing on You Tube.)  

I highlighted part of the Scripture because I find it interesting that it says he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. I find it puzzling in a way, that the Lord compares his coming to a thief breaking into a house unexpectedly. Another time when I read this part of the passage, the first thought I had was that it is more important than ever to stay tuned into God’s timetable of end time events by keeping a vigilant habit of prayer. In other words, if we pray AND listen to His specific instructions to us, we won’t be caught unaware when He does come for us.

The Apostle Paul wrote:

for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, "Peace and safety," destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled. I Thess. 5:2-6 NIV

Before the massive earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan, life was going on pretty normal for me. I wasn’t thinking about end times, the Rapture or that the coming of the Lord is very very soon. I was busy going about my business working on the usual (my artworks business) and plugging through the day to day of this long cold winter. I was watching Christian programming (The Miracle Chanel, Vision and sometimes Grace TV), and sometimes a guest would mention the end times. But after the disaster in Japan, I couldn’t believe the destruction that was happening there. I became worried because I have friends that live there (although not in the part that was most affected). And I was astounded to see how their disaster never really ended, since they are still trying to fix the nuclear reactors that were affected by the earthquake. And even helicopters that were sent to help before they realized the gravity of the nuclear reactors breaking down, had to turn back for fear of radiation poisoning! And then I thought about how their economic situation affects the west in terms of vehicles and electronics and numerous other exports. Wasn’t the yen one of the strongest monetary systems in the world? Their bank had to pour billions of dollars into the economy to prevent a collapse. The food shelves in the stores were empty and people had to stay inside. This is on top of losing their homes, entire villages, loved ones, neighbours and friends. How much more will they have to take?  

So after this, I noticed that some of the programming on the Christian stations were not talking about the disaster in Japan, but that we are living in the last days or the end times. I don’t think all of the programs were airing these programs dealing with end times because of the Japan disaster. I just think it was the timing of the Lord urging some of these programs to remind us that we are indeed in a time like no other! The general message is that the Church age is coming to a close and Jesus is coming back soon. It’s really a glorious time for every believer in Christ, but a terrible time for those who refuse to believe and get left behind, for they haven’t even begun to see the destruction that is yet to come. (And we’ve already been warned in the message that we’re currently discussing that the nations will be judged!) So for me, my current wake-up call was to write this blog and connect people to my web-site which offers some of the books I’ve written (as a free read) that I also felt I should write and complete. I began writing the books in earnest in 2001 and began publishing them myself in 2006.  

It’s almost been 10 years since the terrorist attack on the Twin Towers in New York City, September 11, 2001. I remember that day my world changed, and not just because of anything the newscasters said about it threatening our free democratic society and the way air travel would become such a pain with heightened security (which should have been there anyways). But it was really the first time that I can remember feeling such a strong calling and pull to write the books I had felt inspired to write forever so long. So rather than toying with the idea, I started writing them in earnest and since then have written 14 inspirational non-fiction books, one art book, two full-length fiction, plus three complete manuals for creative writing courses (and add to this six chapbooks of poetry). One of the books is a complete family history of my mother’s side and I also did another complete family history on my father’s side. I have about three more books forth-coming, but not as urgent as some of the non-fictional inspirational that I knew I had to complete and publish. In addition to the strong call to write these books, I believe that the Lord asked me to put aside my personal goals and dreams (mostly traveling) because He is going to come soon and I had a lot of work to do and still do!  

But do I feel ready for the Lord’s return? Far from it. It still feels like there’s so much work yet to be done. I don’t mean just writing the books; I mean that every time I step outside the door, there is someone in need in one way or the other. I try to pray for at least one stranger a day and try to make a difference, even in the smallest ways (although I must admit I often fall short). So how do we get ready? Once again, I believe that we must keep in touch with the only One, the Lord Jesus, who knows all things and He will speak to us about how we need to get ready and what more we need to do.  

Thank you for reading and may God bless your day!