Are You Ready? Part II

I devoted my last blog entry to the question “Are you ready?” as a response to the catastrophic earthquake and tsunami in Japan.  Here is one of the comments I received: “Hi, I’m just wondering why you are saying these earthquakes could be the beginning of the signs of the end times? (Not that I’m necessarily disagreeing with you, I’m just curious) Because there’s been plenty of earthquakes before, why now? Is it the size of them? Are there other reasons to make you think that?”  I think this is an important question – one that many are asking themselves.

While I agree that there have been many earthquakes before, one can’t ignore the reality of such massive earthquakes in such a short time, such as Haiti, New Zealand and now Japan.  We have also seen some other massive disasters in Australia, the USA, and other places around the world. When you consider this together with the escalation of wars in countries throughout the world, rumors of wars, as well as the way the world has changed before our own eyes, it seems very probable that these are the beginnings of the “birth pains” (Matthew 24:7&8).   And if this weren’t enough, the indisputable facts that Israel is once again a nation, as well as the unprecedented number of Jewish people who proclaim Yeshua as Messiah, are very good evidences of the times we live in!

But let’s get back to the main purpose of the last blog entry, which was, “Are you ready?” The events we’ve witnessed and in some cases, experienced, remind us of this reality: tomorrow is promised to no one…if it is time for God to take you home, are you ready?

The festival of Purim is in full swing in Israel and around Jewish communities throughout the world.  Here in Israel, we see children in costumes, sing special songs reminding us of the joy of God’s deliverance, read the book of Esther, and we eat wonderful cookies called “Oznei Haman” (hamentaschen) to celebrate the defeat of evil in Persia many centuries ago. Perhaps the most compelling part of the story of Purim is when Mordechai tells Esther these words that have stood the test of time:

“For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?” Esther 4:14

“…for such a time as this.” Esther had to make a difficult choice to put herself on the line to answer God’s call on her life.  It could have meant death for her. But she was willing to answer, no matter the cost.  We are also living in times that require each of us to make a choice – God has put each of us here for a specific reason. We are called to make a choice for God, and allow Him to make a difference in our lives that will, in turn, make a difference in other peoples’ lives.

But you must choose today, because tomorrow may not come.  So again I ask, “Are you ready?”