Are You Ready?

I used to be a Royal Ranger....still am in many ways. What is that you ask? A Royal Ranger is Alert, Clean, Honest, Courageous, Loyal, Courteous, and Spiritual. That's the CODE, anyway. It's the "boy scout" type organization of the Assemblies of God that teaches everything from knot tying, to how to be a real servant for the Lord. But what I liked most was the motto: READY....ready to work, play, serve, obey, etc. No really, it has an etc., on the end that means a real Royal Ranger is ready for absolutely anything.
I use that motto now to ask if you are ready for what's next on the spiritual horizon. That doesn't mean what is next for lunch, or next on the HoneyDo; I'm talking spiritual here. Did you know that there is a list that awaits fulfilment in the hands of the Lord? A to do list that he is ready to get down and dirty with? Let me give you a short list of things, some done, some just about to be done, and things that are a little further off on the horizon. Are you ready? Well, here goes:
God's To Do List For The Last Days
1. The Return of the Jews to the PROMISED LAND..... done
Splattered all over scripture....e.g., Ezekiel 37, Joel 3, Zechariah 14, Matthew 24 is the renewal of Israel as a nation....even a world power player.
2. The Philistines Come Under Judgment for their persecution of ancient Israel.... done
Also check out Joel 3:4-8 The modern Palestinians are ancient Philistia and occupy the same territory.
3. The Dividing of the Land...... just about
Our President is on the hot path to see that a Palestinian state is officially ceded by Israel and that Jerusalem, the historic and current capitol of Israel is divided between Jew and Arab. Joel 3:3 says that action will be the trigger for the cataclysmic beginnings of the last days.
4. The Gathering of Nations against Israel.... just about
Ezekiel 38-39 give the chilling details of how Russia, Iran, Libya, the Sudan, and Turkey
decide to invade Israel. I believe the hook will be the destruction of Damascus, Syria when
Israel finds out they are about to do something nuclear. (Check out Isaiah 17)
5. The RAPTURE..... really close 1 Thess. 4: 13-18 I Cor. 15: 51-53, Matt. 24
Nothing is holding this moment back except the Lord's mercy to save as many people as will
answer his call. It will be the unprecedented arrival of the Bridegroom at the home of the Bride to call her out of her house and to his side.
6. The End of the Gentile Age.... at least 3 1/2 years from now.
Daniel 9 and 12, Matt. 24 1 Thess. 5, 2 Thess. 2 The end of the age is when God washes
his hands of the Gentile unbelieving world who is represented by the Son of Perdition, the
Anti-Christ, the false savior. He will enter the re-built temple in Jerusalem and set up an
image of himself in a wing of the temple. That will spell the end for the gentiles, and the
salvation of the Jews. But it will be by fire.
7. The RETURN OF CHRIST..... at least 7 years from now. (Unless you are a mid-tribist and
believe we are already part way through the Tribulation period. I don't mind at all. Just
means he's closer.) Rev. 19 - 20 Zechariah 14 When Christ descends from the Throne
Room and sets foot on the Mount of Olives. The result is the completion of number 6.....
commonly called Armageddon. The valley of Jehoshaphat, at the foot of Mount Carmel, will
be the site of the greatest moment of annihilation in all of history. The millennium will begin
45 days later.

In the meantime.....Joel 2 tells us that a spiritual awakening must happen in the world before the end comes.....that means a renewal of the moving of the HOLY SPIRIT in the church....which in most cases in our culture....is nearly lifeless. I believe that will happen between numbers 4 and 5. It will happen right now if you really seek Jesus with all of your heart. The Spirit of God is ready to move in you and through you to touch a dying and condemned world. ARE YOU READY for it to begin in you? Hope so!
Pastor Jim