When a winter storm is on the way the whole town panics and rushes to help themselves and others. Grocery stores are packed. The milk and bread aisles are empty, and schools shut down in advance to protect those in danger of what’s to come.

When the storm hits the people are prepared, ready for what was predicted only days before. What if you knew something years before? What if someone told you that you that one day the world would end?

As a Christian, are you prepared for what God has told you would come?

In Matthew 24:44, the Bible says, “Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” Jesus is preparing His people for the day that He will come and take them home. He is giving them good news but also news that should strike a fire in their soul to be ready every day, every hour, because they won’t know when He is coming.

The scripture before, in Matthew 24:42-44 says, “Therefore, stay alert, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But know this that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

Just as the weather warns us of what is to come, Jesus tells us to be ready, to stay alert, and to wait upon His coming.

In January 2020, no one knew that the coronavirus would reap havoc among the world. When the world panicked in March, schools shut down, and masks became an everyday necessity. No one was ready for that terrifying announcement.  Toilet paper was scarce, jobs were lost, and families were in turmoil from loss and fear.

If the world knew what would happen in 2020 a year before it happened, preparation would have been pertinent. People would have stocked up on toilet paper and food, saved money in case they lost their jobs, and prayed like they had never prayed before.

Why are people not preparing for what God has told them would come? How can you be ready?

Step 1: Make sure your relationship with Christ is secure. Do you know where you are going when you died? Are you 100% confident that you are saved by Jesus Christ? If not, I encourage you to reach out to me or a pastor or friend and find out what it means to truly trust in the Lord. Believe and receive Christ as your Lord and Savior.

“If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.” Romans 10:9-10

Step 2: Make sure others are ready!  In 1 Peter 3:15 the Bible says, “But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,”  With Christ as your Lord, you are called to share the Good News.

“Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20

Make a list of the people you know are not believers or the ones you are unsure if they are saved. Pray over the list every day and imagine them leaving this world without salvation. How would you feel knowing they didn’t know Christ? How would feel for never sharing His love with them? There is no one, not even your worst enemy, that you (as a Christian) should think deserves hell as their eternal destination. I challenge you to pray for the lost daily and trust the Lord to lead them to Him. What if today was your last day on earth? Would you be ready? How many people would you leave behind that needed to know the Lord? Would it be one of your friends, your family members, or just a stranger you were too afraid to talk to?

Step 3: To add to step 2, Be bold in your faith. Share Christ with others with confidence. Your witness can be the difference between a person going to Heaven or Hell.

“For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile.” Romans 1:16

Hebrews 11:6 states, By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.”

By faith, Noah prepared for rain that he had never seen. He trusted God and for over 100 years he built an ark that would one day save his whole family and wipe away the wickedness from this world. Have the faith of Noah. Prepare for the day that Jesus comes back even though you don’t know when it is. Have faith in His Words. Be ready, for the Lord is ready for you.

May God bless you and show you His grace every day!

Kayla Rampey

There were 400 years of not so silent silence between the Old Testament and the New Testament. During this time, God didn’t go anywhere. He didn’t speak through burning bushes, send prophets to share His news, or send angels to direct His people. God was silent but present, watching over Israel and preparing the world for something they could never imagine. His silence, as His presence in the Old Testament had been, would only be the beginning to something, Someone, so much greater.

Through His will, God prepared the world through other people for the news they would soon hear. During the 400 years of silence between the Old Testament and the New Testament, God prepared the way for the message to come. The Greeks spread across the world and created a common language amongst the people where one day people would be able to understand and translate the good news of Jesus Christ. The Romans created roads and transportation, a better way to spread the Word and follow the Great Commission that is given to each of us in Matthew 28. Even the people that were against God were used to fulfil God’s purpose and plan.

“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20

Just as God created mankind last in His order of creation, God created a time and a place on Earth for Jesus to be born to deliver His people from sin.

In Luke 1:5-7, God chose two people to bear a son, a son that would pave the way for Jesus Christ, later known as John the Baptist. God chose Zacharias and Elizabeth a couple that was “righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all commandments and requirements of the Lord.” (Luke 1:5-7) Elizabeth was barren and they were both advanced in age, but the Almighty God chose them to have a child to prepare the way for the Great Deliverer, Jesus Christ. As many of you know, his birth and beginning was only the start to a far greater journey.

 ”…an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense.  Zacharias was troubled when he saw the angel, and fear gripped him. But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your petition has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will give him the name John.  You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.” Luke 1:11-14 

“For he will be great in the sight of the Lord; and he will drink no wine or liquor, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit while yet in his mother’s womb.  And he will turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God.  It is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers back to the children, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” John was born.”  Luke 1:15-17

Little did they know, 6 months into Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God would send an angel to a young girl named Mary with news that would change the world for the rest of time. Her obedience would lead to a child given by God.

The connection between John and Jesus goes far beyond being born near the same time, but only time would tell the depths of each moment.

As we prepare for Christmas, the birth of Christ is on my mind. Without Jesus, without that silent night in Bethlehem, where would we be today? As important as the birth of Christ is, its just as important to remember the events that led up to that night. What if one stepping stone had not happened, would we still be here today? Imagine if God never chose to create mankind, or He never chose Noah to save during the flood. What if there Abraham and Sarah never had their son, Isaac? Or what if Joseph never interpreted Pharaoh’s dream and saved the people from the 7 years of famine? There are so many events in the Bible that people skip over because they don’t seem as “important” as others, but we need to remember that each event, each moment in time, serves a purpose. Even the events that seem insignificant in time are stepping stones, planned by God, for His ultimate purpose.

I want you to think back to all the times that happened before that glorious day, the day Christ was born. From the beginning of time God showed us His Almighty power. There are many stories in the Bible that so many people miss out on because they only focus on the key points, yet without them, where would we be?

Never stop searching God’s Word and discovering more about your Savior. Reflect on the moments, thousands of years before the birth of Christ, and remember what led up to the star in the sky, the baby in the manger, and the years that would come after His birth. What would become of the child Mary gave birth to? This Christmas remind yourself and others of the big picture, the entire Word of God.

The Word that would change the world.

“He will be great, and will be called the Son of the
Highest .…” Luke 1:32

May God bless you and show you His grace every day!

-Kayla Rampey

Daily you hear reports about covid cases on the rise and friends and family suffering from loss and depression. What can you do to make a difference? How can you help others when you feel helpless yourself? 

You have two choices in this pandemic and only you can let God lead you to which choice you should choose. 1) You can turn to this world and wait for vaccines, medications, and quarantine scenarios that will protect you from the germs that surround you everywhere you go. You can live in fear and let it control your every move. Or 2) You can turn to God. Turn to God for your peace when you are in fear, your protection when are surrounded, and guidance when you don’t know which direction to turn. In no way am I saying you should not wear masks or follow rules set in place to protect you, but I am warning you not to let your fears turn you away from God.

People everywhere are turning to God but people everywhere are also turning to this world. 

As a Christian, now as always before, we need to lead by example and lead others to Christ. When you or a loved one is sick, show others your faith in God by praying instead of panicking. When you are fearful, find your peace in Jesus Christ. When you see someone in pain, living in fear, or dealing with a darkness they can’t get out of, share the love of Christ with them by taking them a meal, sending them encouraging messages, or just letting them know that you are there for them. One phone call or text message could save a person’s life. Lead by example. Love like Christ. 

“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.” 1 John 4:7

May God bless you and show you His grace every day!