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Today is Sunday October 10, 2010 and we are reading through the Bible in a year. Today's message comes from the Book of Matthew, chapters 23-24. If you would like to read today's chapters along with us here online you can Click Here to read them or copy & paste this link onto your browser: imfollowingjesus.com/bible-october-10

In today's Bible reading we will read about, Jesus calling out the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, Jesus foretelling the destruction of the Temple, Jesus foretelling, His second coming, the tribulation before and destruction after He returns, and warning everyone to be ready for His return.

Today's Message: Be Prepared & Ready
Whether you know Christ or not, we all know that one day there will be an end to the world. It is amazing, we do so much to preserve our planet, but do nothing to be prepared for the day that Christ will return. I imagine people think that if they ignore the warnings or that God even exists that they can stop everything from coming to pass. How many times have we tried to avoid something, knowing that it was coming, but that did not stop it from coming, in fact, it might have made things worse? The truth is this, we can not ignore the fact that Jesus is coming, we need to be prepared because when He does come we are all going to be judged. “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;” -I Peter 1:13.

To gird up your loins means to be prepared and ready, in other words, we are to prepare ourselves and be ready for the tribulation that has, in fact, already begun. Remember, the most important step we can take in being prepared is knowing Christ personally as our Savior. If we do not have Christ in our lives than anything we do to be prepared and ready is all in vain. “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.” -Colossians 2:8.

Knowing that the scribes and Pharisees were deceiving the people, Jesus warned them about their vain works. “But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi. But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ. But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.”-Matthew 23:5-11.

Jesus us addressing the false religious leaders, He is referring to the Jewish Temples and Catholic churches, a phylactery is an amulet, ever see someone wear the star of David or a crucifix? And the garments Jesus is referring to are those embroidered robes you see the priests and rabbis wearing. There is only One God and every time a person seeks to be or follows these false leaders they are making them to be equal to God. Christ is not religion, He is life and those who follow these false religions are giving dominion to them rather then God. Many of us have been deceived, I have been deceived as well, I grew up Catholic, but thank God that I learned the truth because if I would have died in my early years I would be in hell right now because they never once told me once that I needed to personally ask Jesus to save me. Religion does not get us out of hell, only Jesus does. “For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” - Romans 10:12,13.

Jesus has a warning also for those who are trusting in these false religions, “Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.”- Matthew 24:5-8.

I know how upsetting it is to realize that you have been lied to all these years, it's okay to be angry with them, but we can not do anything about the wasted years. We can however do something about today, we can prepare ourselves and be ready by warning those who have been deceived as well. “Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil. Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.” - Ephesians 4:26-30.

If you have not been preparing yourself, now is the time to do so, Jesus said, “Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.” - Matthew 24:42-47.

Look around the world today, we are literally seeing many of these things come to pass. False prophets are everywhere claiming they know Christ and people are buying into it. Nations are lining up against each other, just waiting for the sign of attack. The economy is spiraling down quickly, poverty is everywhere, not to mention all the natural disasters taking place, we need to be prepared and ready for His return. The amazing thing is that those are true to Christ will be saved from all the destruction that is about to take place. We can not know the hour in which Jesus will return, but we can be ready when that day does come. “Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.” - I Peter 5:2-4. Praise God!

Enjoy the rest of your day/night, Lord's Day, and have a great week.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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