Getting Ready
In the Association of the Covenant People most of us believe the Lord will be returning soon, even though we do not say what year it will be. We believe our Israel nations are in a period of darkness and it is important for us to be ready to meet him. He expects us to be faithful to Him even though there is so much spiritual darkness everywhere..
Matthew chapter 25 has the parable of the ten virgins. Five of them were ready to meet the bridegroom and went into the marriage with him. Five of them were not allowed in. I believe the number ten refers to ten tribe Israel, meaning the Anglo-Saxon and kindred people, and the reference to virgins means people who call themselves Christians within ten tribe Israel, because it is Christians who claim they are undefiled and acceptable to God. Five of them were ready and met the Lord and came back with Him to the marriage. The other five found out too late they were not ready and missed meeting the Lord. The question is: How do we get ready? I believe the answer is in 1 Peter, chapter one.
Peter mentions three characteristics of people I would call the overcomers, people who are ready to meet the Lord at his coming. He addresses them as: “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.” 1 Peter 1:2. I believe this verse says they have the Holy Spirit in them; they are covered by the blood of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of their sins; and they are obedient to God’s commandments. The so-called Christians who do not have those characteristics are trusting in themselves. They are not covered by the blood of Jesus Christ because they believe they are good people who are doing good works in the world. The truth is that none of us are good enough to get into the Kingdom of God by our own goodness. Only trusting in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and admitting that we are wretched sinners can we have the forgiveness necessary to meet with the Lord and share in the marriage celebration. So-called Christians who will not be ready to meet the Lord at his return do not believe in God’s commandments. They say homosexual relations are okay, that attempts at sex change are okay, that abortions are okay, that living together without being married is okay. Many of them worship money and put it ahead of the worship of God. It will be a terrible shock to them when they are denied inclusion in the Lord’s marriage. Finally, those who will not be invited to the Lord’s marriage do not have the Holy Spirit. They might have mouthed some prayers in church or even said a declaration of faith, but it is not in their hearts because they do not have the Spirit. I believe we must pray for the Holy Spirit. Jesus said, “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?” Luke 11:13. The apostles cast out demons and healed people in the name of Jesus, but they did not assume they had the Spirit, but waited patiently for Him at Pentecost, as the Lord commanded.
The apostle Peter went on in his letter to describe how to get ready to meet the Lord. “Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:” 1 Peter 1:6-7. In temptation we are instructed to keep our faith. Many things may happen to us to pull us away from God. We must stay faithful to Him in this time of spiritual darkness. Peter continues: “Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.” 1 Peter 1:13-16. We should always strive for holiness. We must not yield to the lusts of the world. I believe Christians should not fill their minds with evil thoughts from pornographic movies or horror movies. Peter tells Christians to be sober. A Christian should not become intoxicated with alcohol or marijuana. I have only mentioned a few sins to avoid, but Christians can be guided by the Holy Spirit and the Bible to work out what God wants them to do.
The Anglo-Saxon and kindred people are the descendants of the Israelites of the Old Testament. As such we have a new covenant with God. “But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.” Jeremiah 31:33. I believe the complete fulfillment of this is in the future, but we Christians have those spiritual blessings available to us now. However, we cannot have God’s laws written in our hearts if we do not know his laws. We must read the Bible, and not neglect the first five books of the Bible, for those five books explain God’s laws.
In conclusion, we must be true Christians, trusting in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ to make us acceptable to God, and be filled with the Holy Spirit for our guidance. We must strive to live holy lives and be instructed in God’s commandments by reading the Bible. Peter told us to resist temptation and keep our faith. All of us fail at times to obey God, but the Lord forgives if we humbly confess our sins and ask for his forgiveness. Then we will be ready to meet the Lord at his coming.
