ARE YOU READY

The End Times are coming! Are you ready? ... The BIG QUESTION in everyone’s mind is WHEN? Many people have tried to predict the Last Day. Here is a long list of failed prophecies: Benjamin Keach, a 17^th century Baptist, predicted 1689; Charles Wesley, one of the founders of the Methodist Church, predicted 1794; Joseph Smith, founder of the Mormon movement, Feb. 15, 1891; Charles Taze Russell and his group known as the Jehovah’s Witnesses, predicted 1914, 1915, 1918, 1920, 1925, 1941, 1975, 1994,...; Herbert W. Armstrong, founder of the Worldwide Church of God, 1936, then 1975; The Branch Davidians predicted April 22, 1959 and then later on... David Koresh in 1993 and we remember what happened to him; Pat Robertson, 1982; Lee Jang Rim, a Korean Christian pastor, predicted Oct 28, 1992 at 10AM EST; Benny Hinn, an Assemblies of God pastor, predicted 1993; and so on and so on.... These are just a few of the many people who have predicted the End Times, and have been WRONG! I remember one group very vividly, it was known as God’s Salvation Church, a Taiwanese Christian-Buddhist sect. Many of you may remember back in 1998, people from around the world flocked to Garland, TX on March 31, 1998. These people sold everything they had and went to Garland, a suburb of Dallas. I remember because I lived about 5 miles from the house where they gathered. ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, CNN and all other new agencies had crews there broadcasting the news. Their leader, Hoh-Ming Chen, selected Garland because it sounded like "God Land". After that day came and went, the group dispersed and I haven’t heard what the leader is doing today.

All these false prophets were wrong. We will continue to hear End Time dates. It is so easy to get caught up in these predictions. I have enjoyed reading articles about these predictions. Back in the late 1980's, a NASA scientist by the name Edgar Whisenaut predicted that the Rapture would occur on October 11, 1988. He published a book called "88 Reasons why the Rapture will Occur in 1988" and it sold more than 4 million copies. There has been many disappointments since Christ ascended into heaven. Now I ask, when is He coming.

I will tell you that Christ has promised that He will return again. Daniel’s vision in the Old Testament reading states "In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven." The reading from Revelation today also states "Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him". As to when will this happen, let’s look at the Gospel lesson for today. It reads:

Mark 13:32 "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

How more clear can this statement be? No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven! Look at the string of names I listed that failed in predicting the End Times. Why do they think they know? Do they place themselves above the angels? Are they given insight that exists outside of the Bible? Beware of people that come to you and say "God told me that the End Times will happen on such and such date". This contradicts this Scripture when it says "No One!" Notice that the Scripture mentions that even Jesus, the Son, does not know. How can this be? If Jesus is truly God, then Jesus knows all things. Both are true. Jesus is both God and Man. He has two natures: a Divine Nature and a Human nature. Jesus, in His Human nature does not know the day nor time, but in His Divine nature, He knows all things. This is addressing Jesus in his human nature. Here are some other verses that support the verse in question.

Matthew 24:44 So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

Acts 17:31

31 For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead."

There is a day coming when Christ will return. Here are some more Scriptures that describe His Coming.

Matthew 24:27

27 For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

Acts 1:11

11 "Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven."

2 Peter 3:10

10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.

Matthew 25:31-32

31 "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.

The message that He is coming is not a secret, but is found throughout the Bible, both Old Testament and New Testament. He is Coming, Are you ready?

Last week, we talked about running a race with endurance and that your life is a race and you are to endure to the end. How are we to be ready? Today’s lesson states:

Mark 13:33

33 Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come.

You are to be ready by being on GUARD and ALERT! You are to be on the look out and to always be prepared. My sons are in the Scouting program and they truly enjoy it. Boy Scouts help to prepare young boys to become leaders! I became an Eagle Scout back in 1980 and the Boy Scout program has been very influential in my life and my careers. The Scout Motto is: "Be Prepared". A Scout is to be prepared for all situations, even the unexpected. Our Armed Forces operate the same way. When our country is not at war, they train continually for war so that they will be prepared. The people protecting our country live a life of learning, training, and inspections to make certain that they are prepared.

Scriptures describes how we are to be ready: Jesus states:

34 It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with his assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.

We each have our own assigned task. Some are assigned the task of caring for others, such as doctors, nurses, pastors, teachers, etc... Some are assigned the tasks of maintaining and building, such as electricians, plumbers, framers, engineers, etc... Some are assigned the task of protectors such as firemen, police men, those serving the Army, Air Force, Navy, and the Marines. Some provide services such as accountants, real estate agents, movers, etc... to help others achieve their dreams. We all have our tasks, and we are to continue to carrying out our daily duties to the glory of God. Jesus is coming and we do not want to be caught off guard. Not only do you need to be on guard and watching what is going on around you, but you also need to be on guard and watching your own actions in what you say and do.

Why do we need to be on guard and watching? Jesus tells us:

35 "Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. 36 If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. 37 What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’"

Jesus says to everyone: "WATCH!" You do not know when He is coming and you need to be prepared. Are you prepared? Are you ready? If you have faith in Jesus Christ, then the answer is YES. Scripture tells us: Mark 16:16 "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned." You are saved by your faith! Your Faith receives nourishment through God’s Word and Sacraments that are given to you at Church. You are training for the End Times and probably didn’t even realize it. You are receiving God’s saving Word today. To be Spiritually ready is to be in God’s Word. You are saved by the Gospel. It is not a matter of what you have done or how good or bad you are when Christ comes, but a matter of Faith. Do you believe? The very fact that you are sitting in here today is a sign that the Holy Spirit is alive and working in you! This is the Gospel. God in at work in you today. If you did not believe, you wouldn’t be here today. Paul writes in 1 Cor. 2:14 "The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned." Paul later writes in 1 Cor. 12:3 "No one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit." Now, I’m telling you "Jesus is coming"! Now I ask: "Are you ready?" Your answer is Yes, I’m saved by faith"

Amen