This has been a very common theme of discussion this week. This was the first week of my training that will prepare me to serve with a Call2All (http://www.call2all.org/) and/or the Impact World Tour, IWT (http://www.ywamcampaigns.com/). One of the reasons why this topic has been so prevalent is that many in a Call2All if not everyone earnestly believe that this generation will see the fulfillment of the Great Commission (Matthew 28: 19-20), which is simply that every nation will have not only heard the Gospel message, but will be in a process of discipleship. A command that was given to us over 2000 years ago by our Lord and Savior. The second reason, why we have been talking a lot about this this week, is that we have spent a lot of time in close relationship with the International House of Prayer (IHOP) that is based in Kansas City, which has a close partnership with a Call2All and IWT. According to many IHOP leaders we live in an exciting time in which we see key events coming about that could mark the end of this era in our generation.
One of the main passages of scripture that has brought this topic of conversation up in our classes has been Matthew 24:14, in which, we read that the gospel will be preached in all nations as a testimony to the world, a testimony of God's sovereignty and power, and then the end will come. The return of Christ will be underway. This act of Christ coming back for His bride, has been a prayer on the tongues of Christians for literally millennia, since the ascension of Christ to Heaven, before Pentecost and the release of His Spirit. It was something the early disciples thought was only going to be a matter of years, definitely not millennia, and I assume it could have been, but we have kept Him waiting by failing to fulfill his Great Commission, which was something in His infinite wisdom and foresight He saw coming, and it may even be more than that. I think it may also be His will because of His mercy and desire to see all His people reunited with Him and not separated for eternity.
Many Christians have prayed this prayer, but are we ready. Is the world ready for the return of its King? Is the church ready for the return of its King? We pray for verse 14 because it is happy and triumphant, the fulfilling of the Great Commission, Christ returning to earth, what good, bible-totting Christian would not want that, but I think we rush and skip through verses 9-11. Are we ready to be tried with tribulation? Will we remain faithful unto death? Are we ready to die for our King, and stop just talking about it? Or will we be one of the many who fall away? Will you stand up against and remain firm as the false prophets continue to rise? And what will you do when the love of your closest loved ones grows cold because you carry and refuse the drop the banner of Jesus Christ? Is the world ready for this? Is the church ready for this? Are taking the steps needed to prepare for the return of our King?
I do not say this to be a debbie downer, and to take away the excitement and put a somber note on Christ returning, because Christt's return is ruly an exciting thing to talk about, and it makes me smile from cheek-to-cheek when I do. I cannot wait for Christ to return, and He is going to return and no one can stop that, and because of the inevitability of His return, maybe we should begin to not just pray to usher in His return but pray for strength to withstand the fiery darts of the enemy, so that when they come our faith remains preserved and we can rejoice as the Son comes once again. The battle is only going to get more fierce. Satan is only going to get more desperate, which will lead him to be more overt in his attempts to destroy us and rips from our Creator and Maker, and the one thing I do not want is for us to be standing there like a deer in the head lights wondering why this is happening when we knew it was coming. Many will fall away because they are not ready, they will have remained stuck in the novelty of Christ coming with out accepting the reality that it is going to be a battle. Let that not be you and I, and lets suit up in the armor of God, and get ready to fight, so that we can protect and preserve God's bride for his return!
