Be Ready

A while back I wrote a post called Be Watchful.  I have definitely been more watchful of what’s going on in the world and will be adding to that as I’m lead.

One of my favorite websites to stay updated on events is Serve Him In The Waiting. I encourage you to visit often, not to be fearful, but to watch and be informed and prepared for the days ahead.

Since then God showed me that He has more than just that one message.

Enough so that this looks to be turning into a series.  How long it will be is up to the Lord.

But for today, this is the second in the series.  If you have not read Be Watchful, I encourage you to do so. The Lord wants us to be watchful in these perilous times.

The Lord also wants us to Be Ready.

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The Greek word for ready is hetoimos and it is used 18 times in the New Testament (KJV).

From the Strong’s Concordance:

2092 hétoimos (from heteos, “fitting”) – ready because prepared; “standing by,” ready to meet the opportunity (challenge) at hand; ready because the necessarypreparations are done (or are sure to happen as needed).

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The first 2 occurrences are in the Parable of the Marriage Feast.  Guests were invited and were not willing to come.  Others were invited and came.

Matthew 22:4-10

⁴ Again, he sent out other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding.”’ ⁵ But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business. ⁶ And the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them. ⁷ But when the king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. ⁸ Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. ⁹ Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.’ ¹⁰ So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests.

Be ready when you are invited to the wedding.

 

Matthew 25:1-13 is the Parable of the Ten Virgins. They went to meet the bridegroom, but he was delayed.  Five virgins were ready for the delay, and five were not.

25 “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  as heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; 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 in which the Son of Man is coming.

Did you catch that in verse 10? … The virgins that were ready went in with him to the wedding and the door was shut.

There are 2 significant parts to that verse…those who were ready and the door was shut.

Jesus Christ is coming back. No one knows the day or hour, but the Bible tells us He is coming back. And if we are not ready the door will be shut. Once it is shut, there is no second chance.

Another example of this is in the account of Noah entering the ark.

Let’s look at Genesis 7:15-16

¹⁵ And they went into the ark to Noah, two by two, of all flesh in which is the breath of life. ¹⁶ So those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded him; and the Lord shut him in.

One day the door will be shut and it will be too late.

Be Ready

We are directly told in scripture to be ready:

Matthew 24:44

⁴⁴ Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

Luke 12:40

^{40  “}Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

So what does it mean to Be Ready? 

There are three steps.  And they all require action from us.

1. Salvation

Accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior is the only way to salvation.

John 14:6

⁶ Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

John 3:36

³⁶ “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”

Acts 4:12

          ¹² Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

1 Timothy 2:5

⁵ For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus,

 

2. Live Rightly Until Jesus Comes

Have a high standard of moral conduct in your life. Live like Christ.  Here are

Romans 8:29

²⁹ For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.

Romans 13:11-14

Put on Christ

¹¹ And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. ¹² The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. ¹³ Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. ¹⁴ But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.

Galatians 5:22-23 is the example of living rightly. For a contrast, Galatians 5:19- 21 describes living in the flesh.

²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

 

3. Pray

The idea of praying in many of the verses I found was to be sensitive, be alert (watchful, watch) don’t backslide or veer off course, get careless, etc.

Luke 21:36

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.”

1 Corinthians 16:13

¹³ Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.

Colossians 4:2

² Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving;

1 Thessalonians 5:6 (which goes back to Romans 13:11 above…awaken from sleep)

⁶ Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober.

1 Peter 4:7

⁷ But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers.

1 Peter 5:8

⁸ Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

Revelation 3:3

³ Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you.

Revelation 3:20

²⁰ Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.

Being ready is similar, but different than Preparedness, which is a complete topic in itself.

Personally, I think preparedness is a good thing as long as your heart in in the right place and it gives glory to God.  It is an individual decision based on what God places on your heart.

Here is a great post on Scripture Related to Preparedness  that will give you a better perspective.
What do you think? Do you have anything to add?

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