I remember in the 60’s when I was in elementary school we would have drills to respond to a nuclear bomb attack.
Teachers told students huddle under their classroom table. Like that would have done anything to protect us.
But during that time there was a fear of a possible nuclear war with Russia. I know some people were even building underground bomb shelters to prepare for a nuclear war.
On January 13, 2018 we experienced an island wide alert of an imminent inbound missile that N. Korea fired toward us. Mostly everyone panicked because they did not know what to do. People were driving crazily to get to their family, and some were hiding in storm drains.
Do you remember what your thoughts were at that time? Were you prepared for a nuclear attack? Or were you always prepared to be with Jesus?
Did you know going to church is to learn how to be ready to be with Jesus?
That is what Jesus said in:
Matthew 24: 44 So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.
When we gather in his name it is to learn how to prepare ourselves to be with Jesus. Jesus also said who is responsible for preparing his servants for him.
Matthew 24: 45 "Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? 46 It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns.
Jesus said that he has put faithful and wise servant in charge of his household, this being his church. These servants are pastors and teachers who oversee his church responsible to get his servants ready to be with him.
Do you feel you are ready to be with Jesus?
Being ready for Jesus is one of the most important teachings Jesus wants his church to be doing, so that we will be ready if he calls us home today or when he returns.
Jesus said we need to watch for signs to let us know he is coming is soon.
Matthew 24: 32 "Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 33 Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door.
In Ephesians 6:10 Paul tells of a sign that the church must be aware of before Jesus returns.
Ephesians 6: 10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
Paul said that there will be a day of evil coming, meaning an evil event before Jesus returns. Paul explains what that day of evil will be in:
2 Thessalonians 2: 1 Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers, 2 not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy, report or letter supposed to have come from us, saying that the day of the Lord has already come. 3 Don't let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. 4 He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God's temple, proclaiming himself to be God. 5 Don't you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things? 6 And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. 7 For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, 10 and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11 For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie 12 and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.
This day of evil Paul says will happen before Jesus returns to take his faithful follower’s home. Paul said there are 2 signs that must occur before Jesus returns, the rebellion of the church and the revealing of the lawless one the anti-Christ.
This rebellion is when churches rebel against Jesus as its head but follow their own teachings and design for church, following their own doctrine that is not true to Jesus and his apostles teaching.
When the anti-Christ comes, Paul said he will display counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders and ever sort evil deception to God’s truth and God will also send a powerful delusion so that those who do not know His truth but choose to delight in wickedness of the devil’s lies he will condemn.
Revelations 13 gives more insight of what will happen when this day evil arrives.
Revelations 13: 1 And the dragon stood on the shore of the sea. 2 And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. … The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority. 3 …. The whole world was astonished and followed the beast. 4 Men worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, "Who is like the beast? Who can make war against him?" 5 The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise his authority for forty-two months. 6 He opened his mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven. 7 He was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them. (This verse tells us that Jesus has not raptured his church yet.) And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. 8 All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast--all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world.
9 He who has an ear, let him hear. 10 If anyone is to go into captivity, into captivity he will go. If anyone is to be killed with the sword, with the sword he will be killed. This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of the saints. (vrs 9-10 tells us that we need to be ready to go to prison or be killed for our faith in Jesus at this time.) 11 Then I saw another beast, coming out of the earth. He had two horns like a lamb, but he spoke like a dragon. 12 He exercised all the authority of the first beast on his behalf and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. 13 And he performed great and miraculous signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to earth in full view of men. (This is 2Thess2:9 and Job 1:16) 14 Because of the signs he was given power to do on behalf of the first beast, he deceived the inhabitants of the earth. He ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. 15 He was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that it could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed. (Vrs 15, is the powerful delusion God will do because only God can give this breath of life to the image.) 16 He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, 17 so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name. 18 This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man's number. His number is 666.

So, how do we prepare for this this day of evil, Paul said you need to put on the full armor of God in Ephesians 6. This armor of wisdom will protect you from the devil’s schemes of lawlessness at work right now and from the day of evil to come.
Jesus wants his disciples to wear God’s armor every moment of their lives while on earth by denying themselves, picking up their cross and faithfully follow his teaching and commandments.
This is God’s armor.
Ephesians 6: 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
God’s armor is to know and understand his truth, his righteousness, his gospel, his faith, his salvation, and his word that comes from Jesus and his apostle’s teachings.
Without God’s armor you will fall for schemes of the devil’s lies and his secret power of lawlessness that is already here and you will also be able to recognize God’s powerful delusion that he will send to those who do not know his truth,
Church is where we gather to be ready to be with God by learning from His word his armor. Jesus will hold all his followers responsible to keep each other ready to be with Him when he returns or if he should call you home today.
Be safe in Jesus,
Ps. Glenn