It Behoves Us All To Be Prepared

Referring to death, “It behoves us all to be prepared,” said the old saint to my wife and I at our first meeting many years ago. We’ve never forgotten him or his words. I thought of them again last Sunday when learning of the deaths of what’s reported to be at least 160 people when the church roof collapsed on them during a service in Uyo, southern Nigeria, on December 10. I wonder how many were prepared, because based on a 4-day Convention being held there entitled , “The Oil of Greatness,” it would seem reasonable to suggest blessings would have been on the mind of most there, not death.

“This oil of greatness shall speak for you, don’t miss it,” says the leader in an advanced promo for the event. He might be a genuine man of God, I don’t know. But I notice when he preaches he shouts louder than Adolf Hitler! Why do preachers do that? I know why Hitler did it! “Stay connected to remain protected,” he shouts out in one of his sermons. Some protection! Many with the title “Apostle” are part of that church too. “Messenger” is another word for that and since most who claim they’re apostles also claim they’re prophets, where was the prophetic message regarding the safety of their building? And no, I am not saying the gift of prophecy ceased with the completion of the New Testament.

Someone may ask what about the 26 Coptic Orthodox people killed in the Cathedral in Cairo the same day? A tragedy it was, indeed, but it is reported they died because of 12 kilos of TNT exploding near a (still standing) wall, not a roof collapse. Besides, the Cathedral is about 50 years old, it’s not a new, non-completed building. It is difficult to control terrorist evil intent, it’s not difficult to discern if the roof of a new building being constructed is safe or not, especially if the wisdom and guidance of God is being sought for in prayer by apostles and prophets. Get wisdom! Get understanding!……. Wisdom is the principle thing; therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding Proverbs 4:6-7.

“We’ve all gotta die sometime,” so goes the bravado from the very-afraid-to-die crowd. True, we have. Which brings me back to the words of our old friend; “It behoves us all to be prepared.” No doubt people from both churches were prepared for they fully knew they belonged to Christ and they knew why they belonged to Him. But did that apply to all? If you ask the average church-going person where they’re going when they die, they’ll say, “Heaven, I hope.” Yes, even tongue-talking Pentecostal-type people will give that answer, or similar, not just those from so-called Seeker-friendly and mainline denominational churches. “Because I’m baptized and speak in tongues,” can often be the answer to why from the former; “I’m a good living person,” from the latter.

Regardless of what type of church people attend, not everyone does so because they’re seeking the Lord Jesus Christ and His truth and that they want to live accordingly. They attend for all sorts of reasons, the least of them being spiritual. The spirit of greed, prosperity and materialism are often the strongest of motivators for many whether they’re Nigerian, Egyptian, Australian, American or otherwise. And because these are the spirits motivating them, they’re totally unable to discern if it’s a man of God in the pulpit and Bible class they’re listening to or if it’s a man of the devil. As long as they see him or her with a Bible in hand spouting, “Hallelujah, praise the Lord,” that’s good enough for them. Are such people prepared to meet God? The Lord only knows.

How many of us have seen Christian business people looking at their watch during sermons? They can’t wait for it to finish so they can shake a few hands on the way out the door as soon as it’s over and get back to making money. Are they prepared? What about Christians who can’t wait for it to finish so they can hit the shops or the sports event? It’s not that they do so as a one-off, it’s a regular practice. Are they prepared? For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also Matthew 6:21. Quote: “John Bunyan tells of Mr. Facing-Both-Ways, who kept one eye on heaven and the other on earth; who sincerely professed one thing and sincerely did another. He tried to cheat God and Devil, but in the end cheated only himself and his neighbors.” – FB Meyer.

How about Christians who confess the Lordship of Jesus Christ, but their prayer life, Bible reading and study is spasmodic? Are they prepared? All whom I have met have a common trait. They will talk about Jesus when all is going well, but the moment it doesn’t they fall in a heap. At desperation point they will seek prayer from you, but should you ask them what they think the Lord might be saying to them at that time, they can’t tell you. Then when you pray on their behalf and share with them what you believe the Lord would have you tell them, they’ll dismiss what they’ve heard. A few days will go by and then they’ll start over again. When that happens it’s wise to inform them God won’t act until they act on what they were told.

In informing us, “It behoves us all to be prepared,” it was assurance of salvation the old saint had in mind, but that’s not all I have in mind when asking if we are prepared. “Salvation is deliverance from the guilt and penalties of sin to enjoy, instead, the unchanging favor of God forever, through repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.” – Derek Prime. If one is not delivered from such; if one has not repented and placed faith in the Lord Jesus, they most certainly are not prepared to meet Him at death in spite of what they think or believe. It matters not how well or how often one spoke in tongues or considered him/herself a good living person, upon facing the Lord one will know in an instant hell awaits them, not heaven.

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord Romans 6:23. No deliverance, no repentance – no gift from God! For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast Ephesians 2:8-9. Receiving the gift of salvation is the starting point not the finishing point. Yet for too many Christians throughout the world, they live as though it is the finishing point even if they would never openly admit it. These are the people I want to reach – the heaven-bound people. I don’t want them (or myself) to be ashamed on that day when we stand before the Lord face to face. May none of us be ashamed before Him at His coming or our going 1 John 2:28.

Upon our repentance, all our sins, past present and future were taken care of at the Cross. By the shedding of Jesus’ blood they’ve been washed away. Sin’s fruit is not God’s concern, sin’s root is. While the root grows, the fruit grows. Therefor it’s the root Jesus wants to get at. He wants to rip sin roots from our being. Theologians call it the sanctification process. It is a process, it goes on until the day we die or the Lord comes for us. Quote: “Sanctification is the process of which holiness is the completed state. In sanctification, God’s will is that sinful attitudes and actions should be put to death in the Christian’s life, his nature and character renewed after the image of God in Christ, his obedience to God increased so that he lives to please God.” – Derek Prime.

That’s a major reason for Jesus sending us the Holy Spirit. The sanctification process is the work of the Holy Spirit dwelling within. That’s why He will continually convict us for habitual sins but not condemn us for them. It’s Satan who condemns! For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that you should abstain from sexual immorality……… not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God;……..  For God did not call us to uncleanness, but to holiness 1 Thessalonians 4:3-7. Sexual immorality is only one part of the process of course; no part of Jesus or the Holy Spirit is immoral. And no, we’ll not be perfectly moral at our death or the Lord’s coming, but as long as we’re daily yielding to the root-ripping process, we will not be ashamed before Him on that day.

But Christians failing to yield to the root-ripping process will be ashamed. One glimpse into the eyes of Jesus the Lord, one glimpse at the nail scars of His hands and feet, one thought of the blood of Jesus that flowed from His body on Calvary’s cross for them and they will be greatly ashamed. They’ll be saddened too because they’ll know it means a loss of rewards – what they could have had, they won’t have. They were not prepared. How long the shame lasts I don’t know, because God is merciful to those He saves. It’s my prayer that none of us will be ashamed in the first place. The old saint was right. It behoves us all to be prepared. It truly does. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God Romans 12:2.