Are You Ready for Tribulation? – Rich Fyke

"Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life" (I Timothy 6:19).

Are You Ready for Tribulation?

We are rounding out another year and time marches on. I don’t think most would’ve thought that we would have made it this far, but we have. I remember Y2K at the year 2000 and people were preparing for that. It turned out to be a complete non-event. Life then was a lot different than it is now. MUCH has changed since that time. We recently passed September 11th. Much has changed since that tragedy in 2001. The global pandemic took grip in 2020 and A LOT of changes happened with it. And, now, here we are, we find ourselves moving towards the latter part of 2023. What do we expect next?

Warning after warning has went out, and God has been merciful, but what about when God says enough is enough? We see from Scripture how God dealt with a disobedient people. Speaking of the house of Judah, God told Ezekiel, “Therefore will I also deal in fury: mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity: and though they cry in mine ears with a loud voice, yet will I not hear them” (Ezekiel 8: 18). What had they been doing? The elders of the house of Israel were committing abominations and idolatry. The women were weeping for Tammuz — a Babylonian vegetation and fertility god. And twenty-five men were deliberately snubbing Almighty God, as they turned their backs on Him, as they engaged in sun worship — a common pagan practice of the day. All of this was being done in God’s house! Those that were supposed to be God’s people were in outright rebellion towards Him. Even the leaders were corrupt! God was not pleased!

Isn’t that how it is today? We have many that have, “…………………….aformofgodliness,……………… (2 Timothy 3: 5), but deny the power thereof, teaching, “………………………that gainisgodliness:……………………..” (1 Timothy 6: 5). The prosperity gospel permeates and influences many churches. They focus on heaping treasures unto yourself in this life, rather than being concerned about the life to come. Scripture says we are to, “…………………..layholdoneternallife, ………………….” (1 Timothy 6: 12). 

We have a lukewarm church that thinks it is rich and increased with goods and in need of nothing. It has no idea that it is, “……………………wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:” (Revelation 3: 17). It is only a matter of time before judgment comes.

We are told in Scripture, “For the time is come that judgmentmustbeginatthehouseofGod: and if it firstbeginat us, what shall the end be ofthem that obey not the gospel ofGod?” (1 Peter 4: 17).  Judgment first begins at the house of God. We have seen judgments multiplying as labor pains — becoming more frequent and intense as they occur.

Yet, is anyone paying attention? Is the church world paying attention! It would appear — by and large — NO — most are as lukewarm as they’ve ever been! What will it take for the dissolution of the blindness of false doctrines being perpetuated? If you look at what happened in the next chapter of Ezekiel (Chapter 9), you see that after God sealed HIS people with a mark in their foreheads, He then executed His judgment on everyone else, “And to the others he said in mine hearing, Go ye after him through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity: Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house” (Ezekiel 9: 5-6).  To them, He had no pity.

In His Mercy, Jesus says to a lukewarm church, “I counseltheetobuyofmegoldtriedinthefire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see” (Revelation 3: 18).

I’ve said all that, to say this — Are you ready for tribulation? Are you ready for life to change as you have known it? The time for warning is coming to an end. The time for preparation is just about over! It is almost sunset. The night time is just about here! We know that, “……………………he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the justand on the unjust“ (Matthew 5: 45). We are going to see very troubling and trying days ahead.

This time is spoken of in several passages of Scripture. Daniel speaks of it as a time of trouble, “……………………….and there shall be atimeoftrouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book” (Daniel 12: 1). Jesus, in Mark and Matthew, refers to it as a time of affliction and great tribulation, “For in those days shallbeaffliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shallbe” (Mark 13: 19). “Forthenshallbegreattribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shallbe” (Matthew 24: 21).

Are you ready for affliction? Are you ready for great tribulation? Are you ready for the comforts of life to be over?

The apostate church says, “…………………..I am rich, andincreasedwithgoods, and have needofnothing;………………….” (Revelation 3: 17). How is it going to fare when it is cast into great tribulation! How will it respond when confronted with denying its faith or dying for Christ? Many will realize they were lied to by false teachers and false prophets and turn on them at that time.

It is going to be a time like no other. We should ask ourselves if we are ready — knowing that we should not boast or glory of anything, but the strong confidence we have in Our Lord Jesus Christ. He is The One that will not allow us to be tempted above that which we are able!

Are you ready to choose between your life and your faith in Jesus?  Jesus warns, “…………………….whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 10:33).

Are you ready for persecution? We know we will face it, “Yea, and allthat will livegodlyinChristJesusshallsufferpersecution” (2 Timothy 3: 12).

Are you ready to choose absolute deprivation over the mark of the beast?  You must never take the mark, for those who receive it will be tormented forever, “And the smoke oftheir torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship thebeast and his image, and whosoever receiveth themarkof his name” (Revelation 14: 11).

Are you ready for there to be no food? As difficult as it may be, we are promised in The Word of God, “Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy; To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine” (Psalm 33: 18-19).

Are you ready for being thrown into prison for your faith? Many of our brethren in other countries are there now. The Christians in the communist world considered finding a mouse a delicacy.

Are you ready for trouble on every side? As always, The Word of God is our Comfort and Encouragement in everything, “We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh” (2 Corinthians 4: 8-11).

Are you dead? Scripture says we are, “Foryearedead, and your life is hid with Christ in God” (Colossians 3: 3). We must lose this present life that we will gain eternal life.

Are you ready for life as you know it to be over? That is how quick it will come.

The Good News is, that while the sun is going to set on this world for a short time — at Midnight — the Bridegroom is going to come for His children, “……………………….and soshallweeverbewiththeLord.” (1 Thessalonians 4: 17)!

So, be of good courage, children of God.

The Lord provides us with this last Word of encouragement, “I cried unto the Lord with my voice, and heheard meoutofhisholyhill. Selah” (Psalm 3: 4).