Ready

From: Messages of God's Love: 1929

Ready

From: Messages of God's Love: 1915

ONE bright, wintry afternoon, while walking along a very quiet road, I noticed in front of me several boys who were singing a song, the chorus of which was this:

"Are you ready, boys?

Are you ready, boys?

Ready, now, aye, ready?"

They were walking quickly, and the sound of their voices was soon lost to my ears; but the question kept repeating itself to my own heart over and over again,

"Are you ready, boys?

Are you ready, boys?

Ready, now , aye, ready?"

I wondered of what they were singing. Probably it was some sea song, the refrain asking if all were ready to start on some trip or voyage. But the words of their chorus reminded me very forcibly of events which must happen soon, and for which all should be ready.

Are you ready, dear young reader? Ready for what? you may say. Ready to hear the shout of the blessed One, the Lord Jesus Christ, who is coming again very soon to take all those who are ready to be with Himself for ever.

"And they that were ready went in with Him to the marriage: and the door was shut." Math. 25;10.

You may say, "I should like to be ready, but what will make me so?" Nothing but the blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, which cleanseth us from all sin. (1 John 1:7⁷But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (1 John 1:7). )

Sin cannot enter into the presence of God, but Jesus has borne the judgment of God against sin "in His own body on the tree," and has made a Way right into the glory above.

"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." All your sins will be washed away, and you will then be "Ready now, aye, ready," when He conies again.

A dear girl, who was greatly troubled about her sins, had heard that Jesus was coming to take all His own to be with Him forever, and knew she was not ready. The thought so troubled her that she could not rest. Her mother, who did not know the Lord Jesus as her Saviour, said to her one day,

"What is the matter with you, my girl? Why are you looking so miserable?" The poor girl replied,

"O, mother, we are none of us saved in this house, and T don't know if the Lord has come, and I shall not know until I get into town tomorrow, for I don't know any Christians here in the village."

Her distress was real, for she knew she was not ready, she knew her friends were not ready; and if the Lord had come, she knew all who rejected the Lord Jesus would be left behind.

LEFT BEHIND for what? For the "wrath to come"; for the judgment of "the great white throne," and for "the lake of fire, which is the second death." (Rev. 20:11-15¹¹And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. ¹²And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. ¹³And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. ¹⁴And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. ¹⁵And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:11‑15).)

O, dear boys and girls, these are realities—no fiction, no lie, but the truth of the living God, who cannot lie. May He give you to think now, while this is yet the day of His grace, and to ponder in your hearts the words, "Are you ready?"; for, "Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of Salvation." If you are not ready do not delay: tomorrow may be too late, and you may be left behind.

"If you take the loving Saviour now,

Who for sinners once did die,

When He gathers His own In that bright home,

Then you'll be there and I.”

Messages of God’s Love 12/8/1929

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