Do you believe it’s time to rise up and let our lights shine for Jesus? Singing that little song recently and seeing the state of our world, I feel an urgency to write about end times. While special interest groups shouting for rights that are wrong in God’s eyes, laws are passed that contradict God’s Word. Sin is rampant, even shown on prime time television for all our children to see; lukewarm living is deemed acceptable, and plans to silence Christians intensify; many of God’s children sit on the fence and hide their lights under a bushel! Why can’t we see what the enemy is doing within our own nation? He is the Trojan Horse that walked right in, sat right down and let his demons loose in our land. He lures and looks to steal, kill, and destroy every last one of us from sea to shining sea. Yet, the evil one has no power over a born again Christian who stands up and says, ‘get behind me Satan’! We cannot be afraid. We must look sin in the eye and say this is wrong, look the devil in the eye and say, get away from me, and go to God for protection, blessings and pleas to enlarge our territories so that we might serve Him greater and grander than ever.

A warning should be sounded with the urgency that Paul Revere shared as he rode through the night with a message that saved our land. Are we a nation on the road to self destruction? Is God first? Do we honor Israel? The cry from every Christians’ lips should be: “listen my children and you shall see, sins rampant on land and on sea; let us rise up and let our lights shine, for coming soon is the end of time – please receive and repent, don’t be left behind. Rise up and let your light shine… ‘till Jesus comes’

How many more warnings will God give or signs will He send before we unite in Christian love and let our lights shine? I believe prayer, repentance, humbling ourselves before God, honoring and praising Him for His blessing that has kept America flowing with milk and honey for centuries will make a difference in our Maker’s eyes. Are we a modern day Sodom and Gomorrah? Have warnings and signs gone unnoticed? Do we truly believe God’s Word and promise? Before anyone closes your mind to these words, take your Bible and read signs and events that signal end times. No one knows, but one thing is for sure — it’s closer than it’s ever been before.

Reading 1 Peter 4:7 shares that watching and praying is wise for the end of all things is at hand. In Matthew 24, the disciples ask the questions we ponder today, “Tell us, when shall these things be? And what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?”

Jesus answered, “Take heed that no man deceive you. Many will come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be troubled, for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nations shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in diver places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.”

If you keep reading in Matthew, your eyes will be opened to present day woes that keep the world stirred up with sin and strife settling in hearts and homes. That’s the plan of the enemy: destroy the values, the homes, the hearts, the families, the faith, and watch lukewarm believers tumble like Dominoes. Words from Matthew shed light on what is happening before our eyes. ‘People will be afflicted, killed, and hated by all nations for His name’s sake, many will be offended, betrayal and hatred, and false prophets will be widespread. Sin will be rampant and the love of many will grow cold. Then, the promise comes for those who endure unto the end, they shall be saved.

“I am saved” is what I hope everyone knows in your heart while reading this story , but what about those littl (sins), things that God’s Word says we must make right with Him and those we live amongst every day, or we will not enter the Kingdom of heaven? We must stay cleaned out and on guard. When we practice living like Jesus taught and keeping a close relationship with Him, it becomes easier as the days go by to rise up and let our lights shine. Yet, many live dangerously, thinking they have plenty of time to live it up and repent in the nick of time, or that the end won’t come in their lifetime. The Bible has plenty to say to those who do not watch and pray.

Listen to the words from Matthew 24 and apply them to your life. Have you laughed at someone standing up for Jesus, thinking they were going overboard? Have you meant to make a decision and accept Jesus but keep waiting? Are you so busy out in the field making a living that you neglect living closely connected to the Vine? Is your house divided, with conflict and chaos, and little time given to praying and watching? Listen to these relative, real words from His Word and reflect on your own house, your life and your outlook: “…but as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken and the other left. Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the good man of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.”

Are you ready to meet Jesus this very instant? Do you truly believe the Word and diligently pray and watch for what the scriptures reveal in end times? Are you hungry to hear the Word and worship the Lord with gladness? Do you believe it is time for us to rise up and reach out in unity and love to help people who are lost and looking for a reason to live? Jesus is that reason. He is the answer to all our questions for peace and promise and life everlasting. If your heart is stirring, that’s your sign! He is speaking to you and is ready and waiting to come inside your heart, but you must invite Him in. Ask Him to come in today, to come in to stay.

We, at Tim’s Gift, invite you to support and attend ‘Rise Up – Reach Out’ on Feb. 9 at the Sampson County Agri-Exposition Center. This is an annual event dedicated to the glory of God, with singers and speakers sharing their love for the Lord, praise and worship bands and leaders, food, vendors, prayer room, basket raffles, testimonies from a lady with no arms, people healed from cancer, and an ordinary local man (Mr. Beard) God has called to do extraordinary things. He will share a word about what is happening in our world that will bring an understanding and urgency to be on guard and ready for the coming of our Lord. Please make time to attend and see what a difference a day can make in your life.

We offer this event at no charge for the public to attend, thanks to community supporters and sponsors; a love offering will be taken to help support Tim’s Gift Inc. so that we can continue to give help and hope to people in need here at home. Please save the date and share the news so we can fill up that building with people as God will fill it with His sweet, sweet spirit. Check our facebook page, newspaper ads or listen for information on radio spots that give details of the day long Christian conference, or stop by Tim’s Gift to see what’s going on or volunteer to help. We believe this event and the experience you will have is needed and time appropriate for the times in which we live. Don’t miss it this year; plan to attend and be blessed. Join us as we Rise Up and Reach Out to share the love of the Lord. Please help us pray that this event will bring Christian unity and touch people’s hearts to rise up and let our little lights shine.