The following was in response to someone asking me what to do in preparation to the End Times. We can pray for grace
You are asking the right questions, but unfortunately there
are very few right answers. Although the Bible teaches that the end times are
going to have famine, it does not say to stockpile food. The Bible talks about
violence, it doesn’t say to load up with guns. It talks about pestilences, but
the solution will not be vaccines or doctors. There will be meteors causing
world-wide calamity, but God does not say build bomb shelters, although he does
allude to people hiding in caves but their prayer is “fall on us.”
It definitely does not say to be alarmed about godless
people like the Hollywood elite, like those whom you mentioned. (She had
mentioned some elite showing themselves eating bugs in times of famine). No
you are not to “panic”, but the Bible says be prepared. So how? Not with
self-sufficiency but spiritually with God.
Luke 18 has Jesus questioning on whether or not He will find
true believers trusting in Him before the Rapture: “7 And shall
God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears
long with them? 8 I tell you that He will avenge them speedily.
Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the
earth?”
In speaking of the Great Tribulation, Mark 13:20 states that
unless the Rapture comes for the elect, no one would be spared (the word saved
can mean spiritually “going to heaven” or as in this case “physically spared”).
“And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the
elect's sake those days will be shortened.”
So how do we prepare?
“pray that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that
will come to pass.” That means to be living a life of repentance (I repent
every day, meaning I stop going the way that is against God), godliness (don’t
just stop doing wrong but start doing right. I try to do the things that are
with God and for God), faithfulness (not just having trust in my mind and heart,
but acting on my faith), moral purity (not because I have to but because I want
to), true worship with other Bible-based believers (it is REALLY HARD to find a
Bible believing church).
The Bible says “Watch and pray”.
Luke 21:36 says,
34 “But take heed to yourselves, lest
your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this
life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. 35 For it
will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36 Watch
therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all
these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.”
36 “But of that day and hour no one
knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. 37 But
as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man
be. 38 For as in the days before the flood, they were
eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah
entered the ark, 39 and did not know until the flood came
and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 40 Then
two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women
will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. 42 Watch
therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. 43 But
know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would
come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. 44 Therefore
you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.
For three years or more before I left Killeen, every messageI preached was on Christ’s return, in some form or another, except for the last
one. But very few churches do I see preaching on repentance, preaching on Christ’s
soon return. They are out there I am sure, but as I visit around, most are praising
and preaching but without much urgency or conviction.
It’s not just having good worship, but good prophecy. Revelation
19:10 says, “Worship
God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”
We should not be lulled to sleep. We should not be merely
preaching “peace and safety” (perhaps because of the Rapture). No, we should be
ready, “watch” and behave, “be sober”. Paul had
urgency when writing to the Thessalonians, chapter 5: 1 But
concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should
write to you. 2 For you yourselves know perfectly that the
day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. 3 For
when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as
labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. 4 But
you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a
thief. 5 You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of
the night nor of darkness. 6 Therefore let us not sleep, as
others do, but let us watch and be sober. 7 For
those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. 8 But
let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and
love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. 9 For
God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus
Christ, 10 who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep,
we should live together with Him.
Christians are divided on whether or not believers will go through the Tribulation. Perhaps Matthew 25 has an answer:
1 “Then the kingdom of heaven shall be
likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the
bridegroom. 2 Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 3 Those
who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, 4 but
the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 5 But
while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.
6 “And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold,
the bridegroom is coming;[fn] go out to meet him!’ 7 Then all
those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said
to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 But
the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and
you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ 10 And
while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in
with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.
11 “Afterward the other virgins came also, saying,
‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ 12 But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I
say to you, I do not know you.’
13 “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day
nor the hour[fn] in which the Son of Man is coming.
