WHAT YOU CAN DO TO PREPARE FOR THE GREAT TRIBULATION

 

Let's take a look at some of the advice that Jesus gave to His disciples, to those who heard His voice at the time and to every Bible-reader throughout the last 2,000 years. To us --all of us who worship the Word.

Matthew 5

43 You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy:

44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,

45 That you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 

46 For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?

47 And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors so?

48 Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect."

This is a radical piece of advice. Or is it a command? Personally, I take all of the suggestions from Jesus as concrete directives. He said,

"LOVE YOUR ENEMIES."

Any questions? 

Yes, there are questions. Let's face it. We want to know WHO is our enemy? And HOW do we love them. Am I right? And besides, "What's that got to do with preparing for the Great Tribulation?"

I will try to answer these two questions and if you have more, please put them in the comments.

As a Spirit-filled, born-again, Bible-believing Christian (I make the distinction because some people think they are Christians because they go to church.) you probably feel that you really don't have many enemies. You may have had discussions with others who don't necessarily believe the same way you do but you certainly don't consider those people your enemies. That's because, as Christians, we don't believe in creating contention with others and our main approach is to avoid friction, arguments, doctrinal disputes, or controversy. 

We believe our enemy is Satan and "we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against spiritual wickedness" and that's all true, of course. So,

WHO IS OUR ENEMY? 

Jesus made it clear when He said in Mark 9:40 "He who is not against us is on our side."

What He didn't say was "He who is not against ME is on MY side." 

To me that simply means that whoever is against Jesus is not on our side. Right? 

Our enemies do not always manifest themselves physically in a physical attack but if they did take out your eye, Jesus said you should not resist them but turn your cheek so they can smite you on the other side. (Let's hope they don't take out both your eyes.)

Further, Jesus added that not resisting evil was only the first requirement. We are to LOVE our enemies. And He gives us practical steps to take in order to do that. He says,

"40 And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also, 41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain, 42 Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away."

The thing about being a follower or disciple of Christ is that it's an active, act-it-out, action-based way of life. Yes, it's a way of life and it doesn't stop for a few days and then you get back into it much later sort of thing. It's giving your ear to the Lord and allowing Him to live through you, act through you, help people through you. And since God doesn't just let it rain on the just but He lets the rain fall on the unjust and the wicked, we followers are expected to do the same. We're meant to help people and be an example of the Kingdom of God on Earth. 

You may find out who your enemies are and you may not. And some of those who were vicious enemies may suddenly become your best friend because they were impressed with your example of unconditional love and decided to try out your God.

That explains the wisdom of Jesus in saying we must love our enemies. What better way to defeat the enemy than to make him an ally? Make him a beloved brother in the Lord. That's how to defeat the enemy. Imagine how it annoys Satan when we rescue his prisoners and win them over to our side?

We should probably remind ourselves that Jesus died for all of mankind. EVERY SINGLE ONE. Even the ugliest ones, the most addicted, the thieves, murderers, rapists and even the child molesters. Jesus took deep, bloody, gouges into His skin to PAY for ALL THE SINS OF HUMANITY FROM THE BEGINNING OF LIFE ON EARTH. 

It's the Blood of Jesus that's going to get us through the Great Tribulation. It's the testimony of our relationship with God that's going to bring us out of the worst tribulation this world has ever known. And it's our relationship with Jesus that will protect us, guide us, provide for us and lead us to our destiny.

What more do we need?

How to prepare? It's very simple. TALK TO JESUS. He's the Answer Man. 

You can hear His voice loud and clear when you read the Gospels. They contain very clear advice, advice like "Sell all that you have and give the money to the poor." 

"Lay up for yourselves treasures in Heaven where moth and rust do not destroy."

Matthew 6:19 "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20 But lay up for  yourselves treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do  not break through nor steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."

WARNING: Continue reading only if you haven't been offended so far (or at least you haven't been totally insulted) and only if you are willing to accept the possibility that there is NO PRE-TRIBULATION RAPTURE.

(I mean, isn't pre-tribulation rapture an oxymoron? Because IF we are raptured PRE-trib, that would mean there's NO trib. Wouldn't it? Because, who would be getting tribulated?)

This is another note: I want to make it very, very clear that the Wrath of God (which is NOT called the Great Tribulation) is NOT going to happen to born-again, Spirit-filled believers in Jesus Christ! 

If you read Revelation, you'll see that following a GREAT EARTHQUAKE is the RAPTURE AND THEN THE WRATH. It doesn't say how long AFTER the rapture it will be until the Wrath is poured out but here are the verses I'm referring to FYI.

Revelation 6:12 - 17

"12 And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; 

13 And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casts her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. 

14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. 

15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; 

16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; 

17 For the great day of His wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?"

"Who shall be able to stand?" Not us. We won't need to stand because WE WON'T BE HERE.

The earthquake is going to be a really big deal and it will KICK OFF THE RAPTURE. In other words:

EARTHQUAKE  =  RAPTURE

When we feel the ground from beneath our feet crumbling and breaking up, that's when our feet will no longer touch the ground. Then LOOK UP for your redemption is drawing near. The angels are coming to get us! 

I Thessalonians 4:16 says "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 

17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 

18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words."

Does that comfort you? Does it comfort you to know that ALL of the terrible stuff Revelation talks about is concerning the WRATH OF GOD. NOT the Great Tribulation. 

The people who will have the Wrath of God poured out on them are the very worst enemies of Israel. ALSO 

"If any man worship the beast and his image and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the WRATH OF GOD, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of His indignation;..."

I have some more good news for you! Guess what! GOD has prepared a place for a special woman (who most likely is the church). You can decide who you think it is.

Revelation 12:6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.

You can read that whole chapter to see who that woman is. 

The very specific amount of time referred here (1,260 days) is the same amount of time presented in Daniel and in Revelation for the Great Tribulation which is 3 1/2 years. 

We don't know where the "wilderness" is but it is a place prepared of God where she will apparently be nourished and kept alive while the Tribulation is going on. 

However, Jesus warned us in Matthew 24 that there will be sorrows. 

9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for My name's sake." 

10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. 

12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. 

13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved."

Jesus gave us the very best advice of all time when He said in Matthew 22:37 - 40

"Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 

38 This is the first and great commandment. 

39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 

40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."

Love God and love your fellow humans. That's it. That what you can do to prepare for the Great Tribulation.

I'm not being simplistic or sarcastic. This is me doing my best to suggest how we believers can not only GET THROUGH the coming days, but to SHINE. 

We can REMAIN under the shadow of God's wings in the Holy Place and we can reach out from there to the sheep that are scattered abroad: set them free, love on them, provide some of their needs, listen to their heart cries, and share the good news.

GRACE. That's what's going to get us through and onward and UPWARD.

God bless!