Patiently Preparing To Be Ready By Jeannette Haley

The rebuke and instruction of our Lord to the Apostle Peter as recorded in Mark 14:37-38, are as applicable to those of us who make up the Church today as they have been from that time to this. Jesus said, “Simon, sleepest thou? Couldest not thou watch one hour? Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak.” After He said this, the Bible tells us he went and prayed, then returned to them and said the same words.

The question is, how does this relate to us who are living in the latter days, and where are we according to God’s timetable? Keep in mind, Peter was wide awake and no longer slumbering when the Holy Spirit moved on him to write two epistles in which he likewise warned all those who were to follow “But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer” 1 Peter 4:7. Today, God’s sober-minded and praying people are aware that the end of the age, like an incoming tide, is indeed here. This is definitely not a time to “check out” mentally or “fall asleep” spiritually, but rather it is a time to prepare for those things that Jesus and the prophets warned us about. Now is the time to keep our lamps burning and our oil full to the brim.

Interestingly, it is not hard to find unbelievers that also sense we are at a major junction in history, that world events are overwhelming, and that there could well be a cataclysmic climax to it all. Even Jesus said, “…for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light” Luke 16:8b. The world also takes advantage of the “signs of the times” and is full of political fearmongers, futurists, false prophets, terrifying fiction books, horror movies, and opportunists who make a living selling buckets of “survival” food while some are busy preparing for the “end of the world” by “going off grid.” Others work at storing large amounts of food, water, medical supplies, survival gear, tools, weapons, and a host of other necessary items, which, to some extent may be wise. But when it comes to being as physically prepared as possible, that is between the individual and the Lord. In the end, the bottom line is our faith must remain in God and not in ourselves, or others. And that, more often than not, takes patience. A lot of it.

Now, patience, especially in our high intensity, technological, fast-paced world is not the number one virtue of most people, and for sure it’s not mine either. It’s so much easier to grab your credit card and rush out the door to find the best deals you can at a local outdoor supply (whether or not you’re young and fit), load up on toilet paper and canned food at a big box store, and shop ‘til you drop as you check off your list of survival gear. I wonder what Jesus’ half-brother James would say. He did, however, tell us, concerning patience, “Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh” James 5:7-8. There is no way you can squeeze out an admonition to “establish” a sure-fire means of physical survival out of that verse, but instead we are told to “establish” our hearts through patience which is based on the knowledge that the Lord is coming.

Turning again to Peter for confirmation, we read, “Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ” 1 Peter 1:13. Obviously, in order to properly prepare mentally for the trials and tribulations of these perilous end times we must first prepare our minds by “getting a grip” on our wild speculations, sinful imaginations, seductive superstitions, childish silliness, and lack of faith. For our undisciplined minds to retain patience through it all, the “loins of our mind” must indeed be girded up which means to be prepared and disciplined by the Word through faith, obedience and filled with the Holy Spirit in order to maintain sobriety and awareness.

However, that old three-fold problem we all have with the world, the flesh and the devil is a daily challenge, and if we are to be overcomers it’s going to take a lot more than picking and choosing which things of the world are “okay” and which things are not according to our personal preferences. Not much is taught in Christendom these days about coming out and separating from the world. In fact, for the past century or so mainstream Christianity has adapted to the world to such an extent that any clear distinction between the secular and the holy, between godly and ungodly, between clean and unclean, or even between truth and error is nearly nonexistent, and in some cases, growing churches have drifted so far from the moorings of God’s Word that their original calling and commission is tragically unrecognizable.

Nevertheless, God has not changed nor will He ever, for it is written, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world” 1 John 2:15, 16. We may be able to give lip service to not loving the world, but our lifestyle will tell on us. What do we live for? What is foremost in our minds and imaginations—those things that bring the most pleasure and satisfaction to the flesh, or do we live for the glory of God? Jesus gave us a succinct way to test where our devotion lies when he said, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” Matthew 6:21.

Zeroing in on the American mindset and culture it might be fair to conclude that we are all basically used to a better and safer life than most of the rest of the world, even though the rise of evil, crime, lust, greed, selfishness, immorality, addictions, rebellion, lawlessness and a host of other ills that result in depression, suicide, death and destruction have brought us to the brink of a great fall as a nation. As I write this, we are witnessing a colossal war raging between good and evil, light and darkness. This begs the question, where has the Church been for the past hundred years or so? After all, Christians are commanded to preach the Gospel and make disciples, be the salt and the light in the world, and overcome the world, the flesh and the devil. Instead of remaining separate from the world as the visible Body of Christ, the mainstream church has “modernized” itself by adopting the “fashion of this world” in order to attract people to itself. God calls it harlotry. (Revelation 17:5.)

Yes, Jesus is building His Church, but it’s not like the typical Americanized version of Christianity that people are used to and expect it to be. The concept of suffering much more than being snubbed one Sunday by Mrs. Snootypot and actually shedding blood for faith in Christ is beyond our westernized imagination because, after all, we are still just rather spoiled sheep who, in truth, need the Good Shepherd and not a “shepherd” who pampers our feelings, expects everyone to be agreeable, content, cooperative, supportive and “knows their place” and who lives every minute, hour and day for the benefit of “the church.” Such conditioned and socialized religious souls are unmindful, unprepared and downright ignorant of the prophesied persecution that the Bible warns us of.

Quoting from Michael Boldea’s book, Preparing for Persecution we read, “We have an entire generation of believers that was raised with the false notion that they would never have to endure for the sake of Christ, that they would never be called upon to sacrifice or even suffer for the cause of the gospel, and that the only things in their future were prosperous tomorrows” pg. 2. You can feel the urgent concern in his heart when you read on page 7, “I don’t know whether it’s the fact that we allowed the Scriptures to get so twisted in our day and age or that so many people believe the twisted gospel that bothers me more. One thing is certain: because so many believe another gospel, when persecution commences in the West, there will be a stampede for the exits the likes of which Christendom has never seen. Jesus warned it would be so since before a handful of people met in the upper room of a nondescript home and prayed until they received the promise.”

Preparation begins with the realization that God, and God alone, has given to His people all that they need to be able to stand in these end days and to remain standing. For one thing, westernized Christians need to wake up and realize that they are just as hated by Satan and his followers as are the martyrs in other lands. “The wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeketh to slay him” Psalm 37:32. And if you think that God will never let any persecution happen to you, you need to pause and think about this verse: “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” 2 Timothy 3:12.

Our foundation is Christ, the Rock of our salvation, and upon this Rock we must build our lives and on nothing else—not on money, personal power, position or prowess, family or friends. How do we build upon this foundation? By making the right decisions, beginning with denying self the right to ourself. “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it” Luke 9:23-24. The Apostle Paul declared, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” Galatians 2:20. We will not be able to die for Christ if we have not first determined, in our heart to live for Christ in faith and obedience.

To stand and remain standing on the Word of God means to know, believe, love and obey God’s Word. Psalm 119:11 says, “Thy word have I had in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” Peter declared, “For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing” 1 Peter 3:17. When contradicted by sinners, remember what Hebrews 12:3-4 tells us, “For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.” Jesus said, “in your patience possess ye your souls” Luke 21:19.

Oh patience! That elusive virtue which leads to hope. Romans 5:1-5 reveals benefits of tribulation for the believer. “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.”

The bottom line is just this: spiritual preparedness is the most important thing we can do in this life. Whether we like it or not, the truth is this world is full of tribulation, and we know from the Word that it will greatly increase in intensity for Satan will, in the latter days, “wear out the saints of the most High” (see Daniel 7:25.) Revelation 14:12 tells us “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death” Revelation 12:11.

Are you patiently preparing?