Prepared For The War?

I was in Israel on 'Pilgrimage' late 2011; I guess you can call me JP! Many claimed it was a spiritual journey but to as many as cared to listen, I told that if any Christian needs to go to Israel on a spiritual journey, their Christianity is vain. Every true believer in Christ began their spiritual journey the day they had an encounter with Christ! My journey to Israel was a Historical Journey to see the sites I have heard and read about in the scriptures. One of the highlights of the tour for me was the visit to the Wailing Wall. It was both interesting and sad for varied reasons. Here were people writing prayers on paper and stuffing into the walls. I almost did same then I realized that even in the old testament when Solomon had built and was dedicating the temple, the covenant between him and God was that whenever any Israelite prayed FACING the temple, God would hear. Now in the New Covenant the Bible made it clear that WE are the temple of God Himself so the Spirit of God in me helps me to pray in accordance to God's will. Jesus then said when teaching to pray 'When you pray say...'; when teaching on worship in John 4 said to the woman at the well 'A time cometh when we shall neither worship the Father on this mountain nor in Jerusalem...'. This goes to say that all that activity at the Wailing Wall is mere religion and holds no water except we pray and worship in SPIRIT and TRUTH! Having said that, my mind was cast back to the events at the Wailing Wall because of the recent Global events and a few questions and personal conclusions are being raised in my heart. I took my time to read once again Matt 24, Mk 13 and Lk 21 to set my heart at rest. Jesus spoke emphatically about the end of the age and its signs and three things are noted in His discourse A. Jesus said when we begin to see wars and hear about rumours of wars we should know as God's people that this is only the BEGINNING of the birth pangs B. He said (Matt24:21) that the DISTRESS would be unequalled from those face from the beginning of the world and never to be equalled again. C. He promised that the days had been CUT SHORT for the sake of the ELECT (by the way that is relative to the divine calendar) because had it not been NO ONE would survive. Question here is if the Bible is true on these matters and here we are; from global warming to global economic recess, august spring setting in motion a ripple effect in those oppressed nations, kidnapping, plane crashes, insecurity, political confusion, dashed hopes, blatant global pursuit of gay rights, scary rise in divorce statistics, premarital, extramarital and intermarital affairs, fear, addictions of every sort, poverty, sicknesses and fatal diseases in short hell is on the rampage; are we the Church aware of the spiritual signal? Could it be a sign that what Jesus spoke about is coming to pass? Is the Church prepared for the pending evil? In the midst of our sermons promising of the good and the great are we preparing a people ready for the imminent war? Are we preparing people who know that this war is not physical but spiritual or have we raised a people who have no trust in the efficacy of the spiritual during war times so resort to self-help means? Of course the Master told us that somewhere around all these events He would return. I will not bother about the Premillenial, Midmillenial or Postmillenial argument but I bother if the Church is ready for both the War and the Master's return! I figure especially in this time of distress that we as the people of God need to prepare and be prepared for what is certainly ahead. We will NOT be assigned a duty post then because you and I stand today Pastor, Politician, Banker, Doctor, Mechanic, Pilot, Market woman, Business Tychoon, Petty Trader or whatever; are already at your duty post! Let's not wait for the Bridegroom to come like the foolish virgins Jesus taught about before we go to get oil in our lamps. If you've run dry like many of us have at various times, go get yourself oil NOW and be prepared!! He NEVER said we will always see sunshine but He promised that as many as will run into His loving arms He will in no wise cast out. He said that a broken reed or a smothering flax he will not quench so let everyone who names the Name of Jesus get refilled with truth not psychology, self-help sermons, emotional doctrines, traditions of men that hold no weight in the realms of the spirit but with TRUTH that MAKES free and run efficiently this race set before us!!!! I rest my case! God bless and see you next time!!!! (c) Chinelo Dillimono