Early Thursday morning I received a message from one of our dear friends saying he and his family needed to come to Elizabeth City (where we live) immediately.
We already had plans for these friends to come, but that wasn't scheduled for another 3 to 4 weeks.
Normally I would've panicked. Not because I didn't want them to come but because of the long list of things I would normally need to do before company comes to stay.
But by the grace of God, everything was ready. We were ready. We had already done the clean sweep. We were prepared.
And the Lord really had me thinking about that situation today, in light of His return and even death, should He tarry.
The Bible makes it clear: No one but God knows when Jesus will return. And that's okay with me, because I am ready.
Matthew 24:36-44 English Standard Version (ESV)
36 “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son,[a] but the Father only. 37 For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, 39 and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. 42 Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. 43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.
Are you ready? Will you be the one taken or the one left? Are you living the narrow way or the broad way?
Matthew 7:13-14 English Standard Version (ESV)
13 “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy[a] that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.
Are you prepared for eternity if it was to start right this very second?
It's so easy to go through day-to-day life without realizing we are only one heart beat away from eternity. In all actuality, it is a great deception that we have endless time to make the choice. I once heard a man say that life is the span of time we have to reconcile our heart to Jesus.
Once we take our last breath, it's too late. We don't get to decide once we see Jesus face-to-face, if He is in fact real.
It's a decision we have to make now. We have to be prepared. We won't get a chance to do the clean sweep and prepare our souls once we see Jesus' face.
We have to be prepared for his coming now. We have to be prepared for death now.
Matthew 7:21-23 English Standard Version (ESV)
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
Good people go to hell. Good people go to heaven.
Good has nothing to do with it.
John 14:6 English Standard Version (ESV)
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
The only way to heaven is if you have a relationship with Jesus. And real talk, sin separates us from Jesus. You won't have chance to repent from it once you look Him in the face.
Do it now. Clean your house, AKA, your soul. Do the clean sweep. Take inventory of everything in your life that could potentially be separating you from Jesus. Take inventory of all the things you do that are of the world and the broad way. For the broad way leads to destruction!
Every day you have is a chance to "clean sweep" your life and your soul of anything that is potentially separating you from the Lord.
He has given you today so that you can be prepared.
Get prepared. Clean it up. Get yourself ready, for tomorrow is not promised.
Revelation 22:14 English Standard Version (ESV)
14 Blessed are those who wash their robes,[a] so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates.
Wash your robe. Do the clean sweep. Be prepared.
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