Are you ready?

I ask my church so I feel compelled to ask you; are you ready? For what? Well... a great deal of people believe we are moving into the "last days" or the "end of the age" very quickly. And the question is are you ready?

I am not challenging theology, for where you lie on the return of the Lord is simply one of the many interpretations of His return, but asking you are you ready for the Lord to be the whole of your life. I have heard it suggested that the 1/2 hour of silence in heaven is to help us "adjust our theology". But where ever you fall in the returning of HIM, are you ready???

God has impressed upon me that the book He has asked me to write(I am not comfortable with this at all as I feel two things; one, is He already wrote a great book and how can I expound upon it and two, the skills I have do not seem capable of this task-aah, maybe three, and audience and a publisher!) begins this week. The title has been given. As I awoke this morning I began to see the book in its entirety, and it "spooks" me. It removes the "me" so far from anything, even in what He has shown me that my revelation of white stones is becoming greater.

The very basic tenet of Christianity-that we are pilgrims and aliens, to return home to HIM, is the subject and the reality of it is what I see lately is "shocking" to me. God and His desire to see us home to be with Him is so very real. To be our all. Not that I am in rebellion at having Him be the total Lord (is there a partly Lord???), but I am realizing the lives left at the wayside who have slidden away. Am I ready??? I recognize that there have been places in my life where I was not.

So what is ready? I guess its that place where Jesus is Lord. Not just our Saviour, but our Lord. And there are many who aren't ready for that who profess Christianity. They may lose there life for the "profession" of faith to Jesus Christ (Remember persecution world wide does not ask theologies or doctrine-but are you willing to give up Jesus and bow to our God-the answer of "no is more than enough to bring long term confinement, possibly even death!) And then its sad to say, but the life they thought was theirs for their "social Christianity" may not even be there. How many people when we enter the gates of heaven will not be there that we were sure knew the Lord (and certainly there will be a line of surprises as well of those who did make it!!!)

How do we get there? Probably by beginning to search our heart and repenting for the evils and iniquities of our lives. Preparing the way for Him. Not easy some times. I found a particular artist's cd in my son's room. He said it gave him a headache and yet he had not thrown it out. It "held" him, captivated him. What was hard for me was it was one of the very first artists I listened to as a child. One of the songs spoke of a particular illness. I used to sing it over and over and one day they said I had it. Thank God He delivered me and the years of medication and being "out there" went away. You may believe you are not affected by your enviroment or the music and words you hear. Trust me, I am not an isolated case. As I saw this cd being broken into little pieces I was drawn once again into that place of iniquity and haze. Oh sure, you can cast down every imagination (we have no choice). Or you can choose to run the "movie". The fact of the matter is if it doesn't go in, it can't come out. So put a hedge of protection around you. Don't go where you wouldn't be proud to take the Lord.

I can't tell you how many people have talked to me of the hook that the world has dangled before them in tv, movies and magazines.We have forgotten the basics, and I bless God that more and more have come to us with the desire to be released from these things, to receive deliverance and restoration.

And people need you. They need to hear about Jesus. One of our men came to me yesterday and said that God was using Him to bring the Gospel to others. His concern was that if God is using him, it must be really getting bad. You know, as I thought about it, I realized the truth of his statement. He is not a bad person at all. But it caused us to think about who God was using. He needs you!!! No matter where you are at, part of getting ready is bringing others to HIM. You and I will arrive in heaven and see that which we brought to heaven. Treasures stored in heaven.

How do I know people need you and I? I was in a bank yesterday and as I deposited a "new" $50 bill, I was explaining to my daughter, Amy, how these were traceable now. That where you went with these new bills is traced and records kept. A woman in the bank looked at me and as she said, "yes", I believe there was a look of fear that crossed her face, and then she said, "its scary". I received a letter about intercepted email and how things aren't what they seem.

We have not the spirit of fear, and yet I believe we need to be cautious of that around us, and begin to dial into Him who can save us. Begin to get ready for Him. Prepare our hearts for Him. We know our enemy. He is dangerous to the unwise. "My people perish for their lack of knowledge" says the Lord. I am not worried what man can do but what God can do.

A year ago a poll was run. 48% believed in God and 21% claimed salvation. This year the results were 71% believed in God and 52% claimed salvation.