Tanya Holmes
Will you be ready when Jesus returns?
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By Tanya Holmes
February 15, 2009

If you have been following the current events around the world and in Israel, you might concur with the prophets of today that we are indeed living in the last days. Of course, we know that no man knows the day or the hour when Jesus shall appear (Matthew 24). Nevertheless, Matthew also shares that there will be signs. The world affairs, including America's moral decline, its financial collapse, its homeland security crisis and unprecedented number of natural disasters in the last decade, are indeed enough signs to suggest these are the days spoken of by Matthew and John the Revelator. Something has got to change for the better of mankind. That "something" and that "someone" are on the horizon. While many believe positive and spiritual change will emerge from the governments of this world, as Christians, we should expect differently. The "someone" that we await for will come out of the heavens not from earthly kings and leaders. That "someone" is King Jesus.

Before King Jesus appears on the scene, though, there is going to be some great happenings in the earth. Let us consider that we are very well in the midst of or at the onset of end-time events. Now if you follow the prophecies in Bible scriptures concerning the end-times, you will see that a great succession of horrific events will take place before the return of Jesus.

The point of this article is not to argue how long the Church, the elect and others may inhabit this earth before His imminent return, but to ask this: Will you be ready when Jesus does appear again?

Our generation may be the ones to experience the second coming of our King Jesus. This alone should call us to attention. All the events that surround His return outlined in the Book of Revelations can be both exciting and sad. It is a truth nevertheless that Christians must face. But instead of being sad, embrace the victory and the victorious message in Jesus returns. For it will represent the end of evildoers, sickness, and poverty — conditions that no world leader can cure indefinitely. With that in mind, I would like to share a dream with you.

God used dreams and visions to communicate an important message to his prophets, Kings and other servants. He sent an angel both to Joseph and Mary in their dreams concerning the birth of their son, Jesus who would be the Savior of the world. He used the Hebrew boy, Daniel, to interpret a dream for King Nebuchadnezzar. There are many more. I, too, received many dreams from God. (So, even if you are not sure God does still speak to us, I invite you to read on as I relay a short dream I had the a few days before the November 4, 2008 election.)

    I found myself standing on a beach somewhere. I was not alone. There were it seems hundreds of people occupying the beach that day. It was a bright, clear day. A fine day it was indeed to be on the beach. There was also some type of building just left of me. It was a high tower of some sort. It looked like a tower on which lifeguards sit. Anyway, I was facing toward an ocean. Suddenly a loud voice came from above me. It was a deep, strong masculine voice. The voice yelled, "It's coming!"

    Then I saw the ocean expand rising higher and higher until it reached the height of the lifeguard tower. It had created a magnificent tidal wave that was headed straight toward the beach. There was no time to run. As quickly as the wave grew, it invaded the beach and all of us on it. The wave knocked down the tower. I can remember being swept into the water; the beach was covered with water. I stayed above the water as the subsequent waves kept me afloat. I noticed I did not sink nor get caught in any current. I floated effortlessly in an upright position without using my legs or arms to do the dog paddle. (For those of you who are swimmers, you may be familiar with this term.) I also realized that although my head and upper torso remained above the water, I was still in the water. Then I looked around for something to grab. There were many, many surf boards floating all around, so I reached out to grab the one nearest me. This is when I woke up.

Here is my brief interpretation of this dream. The tidal wave represents the great trials and tribulation that America and the world will be experiencing. There are many applications that have been used to describe this tidal wave of events: economic turmoil, great recession, famine. The missing boats and life vests represent the absence of security or safety in the presence of famine, war, or destruction. The presence of floating surfboards reveals temporary and limited supply of survival tools. My head and torso remained above water because I was able to tread the water. I am a swimmer.

The voice that shouted was Jesus Christ himself or an angel of God.

If I were to apply my dream to the current state of America, here is how I would interpret it: The Bible refers to a time of the Great Tribulation. Could this be what we are facing today? I do not mean to alarm anyone, but this is what I sensed in my spirit after I woke up from this dream.

When the great tribulation comes, some of us will be more prepared than others to endure the times. I am speaking of both a spiritual and literal preparation.

In Genesis 6:8-22, the story of God's righteous servant Noah is told. Noah and his family survived the Great Flood, because Noah walked with God. Noah was just and perfect in the eyes of God. But the rest of the inhabitants of the earth had become wicked and corrupt. For this reason, God instructed Noah to build an ark.

God said that He would send a great flood that would destroy the whole earth and all of its inhabitants. The boat and the ark are symbols of safety, security and salvation. They also lead to a preservation of life. If you remember, there was no sign of a boat or ship for the people in my dream.

America needs a big boat like the ark Noah built to rescue us for this coming tribulation. But, we also need to — like Noah and his family — ensure we will be counted as worthy to board the ark when the time comes.

I believe Jesus represents the ark for the righteous people living in this day and hour. His return will not only signal the marriage of the Church to their bridegroom, but it will also shorten the persecution of the righteous from the great tribulation.

The righteous man will be known because he is just and seeks to do what is right in the sight of God. His house, family and business will be in order. Now a part of me hopes that my dream interpretation about the tribulation might be wrong, but then the other part of me looks forward to the return of Jesus.

Getting the Spiritual House Ready

So, how do we get our houses in order for the second coming of our Judge and King? John the Baptist makes it clear in Matthew 3: 1-3 as he preached to the people of his day concerning the birth of Jesus the Christ, who would be the Savior of our world. John the Baptist represents a forerunner of the coming Savior. His presence and the words He spoke were a clarion call, symbolic of the coming Christ. Today, if you will listen, you will hear our true prophets of today; in their voices will be the Word of God, like the one crying in the wilderness. It will say something like this:

Repent ye: for the Kingdom of Jesus is at hand...Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make His paths straight." (Matthew3:2-3)

Repentance


Repentance is the first step in getting ourselves prepared so that we escape the judgment and wrath of Judge Jesus when he returns. That's right. There won't be any mercy on his second return. According to the Bible, Jesus will come to reap only the wheat-good and faithful servants. The rest will be doomed to hell. It is only for the sake of the elect, that Jesus returns earlier than his original plan. According to Bible prophecy, Jesus will return three and a half years within the Great Tribulation that is suppose to last seven years. So, if you are struggling with sin, now is the time to repent or turn away from it.

We must call out to Him now while we can and repent of our sins. Sin separates us from God. Sin destroys our families. Sin destroys our homes. Sin destroys our nation. Sin destroys our world. Look where we are now, and it is largely due to sin.

Sins and Abominations lead to death

Maybe you are a business man or politician or pastor who knows in his heart that he is sinning. You have already accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior and yet you have not been living as a Christian ought. Maybe you have lied on your tax return or on your neighbor. Maybe you are in adultery now.

"But the fearful and unbelieving, and the abominable, and the murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone: which is the second death." (Revelations 20: 8)

Perhaps you are a father who knows you haven't provided for your family. Perhaps you are a single mother who's been looking for love in all the wrong places. Whatever your sin, know that Jesus loves you. Stop what you are doing now and ask Jesus to forgive you. Just turn from your sin. If you do it with a sincere, contrite spirit and a broken heart, Jesus will hear you and deliver you.

I do not know about you, but I want to be ready when Jesus comes. It is time for us all to examine ourselves, clean house, and wait on the Lord Jesus. "But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint." (Isaiah 40:31)

Getting the Physical House Ready

Christians just celebrated another Christmas with a house full of visitors, both family and friends. This reminds me of our lessons from our parents, who made us keep our rooms clean and in order. Do you remember this as a child? "Pick up your clothes," "make your bed," etc. I know even as adult how embarrassing it is to have an unexpected guest show up and still have dirty dishes sitting over the dishwasher. Maybe you experienced it this past Christmas. You were thinking, well, that you had two days to clean the house before company arrives, but the doorbell rings three days prior to the day the guests are supposed to appear. You open the door and it's your good friend. You and your wife weren't expecting him now. Although you have kept in touch over the years, you haven't seen him for some time. As happy as you are to see him, he simply arrived at the wrong time for you. Frankly, you must admit that he caught you off guard. It would be great if you could just close your door and wish him away for a day or two. The thought did cross your mind. This I imagine is how Jesus will catch many of us when he returns — unprepared. (Matthew 24; 36-42; Revelation 14:14-20)

It's
coming, before He returns. What if the "who" that knocks on your day is actually the"what." Is your household famine-proof?

Security in Wisdom

One of the best ways to find security in the days ahead is in calling on wisdom. Ecclesiastes 7:12 reads, "For wisdom is a defense and money is a defense: but the Excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom gives life to them that have it." If ever there was a time for Christians to use wisdom it is now. It is always good to listen to financial experts like G. Gordon Liddy and others like him. I caught a part of Mr. Liddy's advertisement while I listened to a local Christian news talk show the other day. It was an ad encouraging listeners to invest in gold. Regardless of our financial status, we can all use some financial wisdom to endure the economic woes we are facing even now and in days to come. Wisdom will show you how to make it with what you have. If you do not have a clue how to prepare for the uncertain times ahead, ask God for wisdom. Wisdom is the principal thing.

Security in Money

Like wisdom, money, too, is a defense. Money (in the right form) is indeed a necessity for our security. If you will permit me, let us stretch our concept of money. For centuries, Americans have used gold, food and other valuables as means to invest, save and purchase goods and services with the world. Money is a subjective term, however, especially in our current day economic tsunami. Over the past year or so we have watched the waning decline in value of the American dollar, the crashes of the stock market and real estate markets and the great loss of jobs. The truth of the matter is America does not have any real money. So, in these uncertain times, Americans will have to rely on creative ways to save, invest and make real money. But, as we do this, let us create with the expectation that turbulent times are yet ahead of us.

Putting Our Trust in God

Our Ultimate Security is Salvation through Jesus Christ

Although we can surely solve most financial problems with the use of money, what do we do when there really is no money and the paper currency looses value? We pray. Our ultimate security is in knowing and putting our trust in Jesus. Let us make sure that we have accepted Him as our Lord and Savior. There is security in just knowing that we belong to Jesus Christ. If we do this, when all else fails, Jesus will not fail those who belong to Him. Through it all, our salvation through Jesus is our safeguard to a better tomorrow — a tomorrow when the saints of God shall reign with him in the new day to come.

© Tanya Holmes

 

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Tanya Holmes

Sister Tanya T. Holmes is an advocate for truth and righteousness and a political/religious writer... (more)

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