In a world seemingly caught in a death spiral, every day that you fail to prepare for what’s coming puts you that much closer to being too late to prepare. It amazes me how many nations are at war, with many more on the verge of war, while so many continue to live their lives as if nothing is happening. Jesus tells us in the days before the flood, people were carrying on as if they were exempt from the judgment God was bringing on them. (Luke 17:26-27).
The same was true for Sodom and Gomorrah (Luke 17:28-30). Are you ready to die? Is your eternity secure in Jesus Christ or have you been putting off surrendering to His Lordship? I have met too many people who assume they will have time to live for God later, unwilling to sacrifice the pleasure of living in the now. Unless you choose to ignore what’s happening in the world, you must realize that the time to seek Jesus is running out.
Assuming you are confident in your eternity with Christ, are you ready to stand firm in your faith when it becomes dangerous to do so? In almost one-third of all the nations on earth, you will face persecution, imprisonment, or even death for being a Christian. The number of nations hostile to Christianity is growing, not shrinking. Countries that have long been strongholds for Christianity and bastions of freedom are seeing those freedoms erode. We are running out of places where we can openly worship the God of the Bible in the way He commands in His Word.
Speaking of the Bible, it is illegal to own God’s Word in thirteen countries, and dangerous to own one in over a quarter of all nations. Many of us have the luxury of owning multiple Bibles, but how often are those books read or studied? Are you ready for the day when owning a Bible becomes illegal? Do you know God’s Word well enough to continue to meditate on it when you no longer possess a copy?
This isn’t just about memorization, although that is a fantastic discipline (Psalm 119:11). Even if you have difficulty memorizing, spending significant time reading the Bible every day will allow it to seep into your pores. You will recall passages and concepts in everyday conversation because God’s Word becomes a part of you. Do not neglect the time you spend reading and studying the Bible.
If we’re honest with ourselves and each other, we aren’t ready in many ways. Don’t be naïve and caught unawares. Look at the world around you, not through the lens of some narrative the culture wants you to believe, but using spiritual discernment, ask the Lord to open your eyes. Time is running short. Whether Jesus is returning soon or because we will face the choice of denying Christ or leaving this world, I find it difficult to imagine a scenario where we will live the rest of our lives in peace and security. Trouble is coming, just as Jesus said it would (John 16:33; Matthew 10:22). The only question is, are you ready?