Each year since 2006, the American Public Health Association has set aside the third Tuesday in September to celebrate Get Ready Day. It is part of a national campaign to help Americans prepare themselves, their families and their communities for all disasters and hazards, including pandemic flu, infectious disease, natural disasters, and other emergencies.
“Words from Above” in the Bible have much to say about being ready for the coming of the Lord, the return of Jesus to the earth. It may surprise people that the Bible never actually says to “get ready” for the coming of the Lord, but actually says that we need to “be ready”, which is much different from “getting ready”. When children ride a bus to school, and the bus stops in front of their house, they must definitely be ready or the bus will go on without them. It is not good enough to say, “I was getting ready when the bus came”, but rather they need to “be ready”.
Jesus told His disciples in Matthew 24:44, “Therefore be ready, for in such an hour as you think not the Son of man will come.” Jesus often called Himself “the Son of man” to emphasize the fact that although He was the Son of God, He also was born in human form and became like one of us. When Jesus ascended into heaven, His disciples stood and watched as He was taken up in a cloud. Acts 1 tells us that two angels stood by and told the disciples, “this same Jesus, who is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as you have seen Him go into heaven.”
Revelation 1:7 tells us, “Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye shall see Him, and they also who pierced Him.” Matthew 25:31 says, “When the Son of man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory.” Matthew 25 goes on to say that “before Him shall be gathered all nations, and He shall separate them as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.” This is speaking about a time of judgment, when Jesus will judge all people and determine their eternal destiny.
The Bible also speaks about Jesus coming back in the clouds to gather His Church up out of the earth, in order to take them back to heaven with Him. We are told in I Corinthians 15:52 that this will take place “in the twinkling of an eye”, which means it will take place suddenly, and there will be no time to “get ready”.
Larry R. Steffee is pastor of the Center Hill Brethren In Christ Church on Miller Road in Smithville. Everyone is welcome to attend. For informa-tion, you may email lrsteffeetn@yahoo.com.
