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Friends, greetings in Jesus Name! Today I shall be sharing with you on what I title, “Be PREPARED”. The Boy Scout motto says, “Be Prepared”. According to the founder of Boy Scout, Lieut. Gen. Baden Powell, you are to always be in a state of readiness in mind and body to do your duty. To be prepared means to make ready beforehand for a specific purpose, as for an event or occasion. For instance, as a student it is expected of you to be prepared for your exams. Really, the outcome of unpreparedness for an exam is usually failure. According to Benjamin Franklin, “By failing to prepare, you prepare to fail.” There is always a prepared place for a prepared person. According to Charles Spurgeon, “Depend on it, my hearer, you never will go to heaven unless you are prepared.” Speaking to his spiritual son, Timothy, Apostle Paul declared: “I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season” (2 Timothy 4:1-2, NKJV). In other translation of the bible, it says: “Be Prepared in season and out of season” (2 Timothy 4:2, NIV). Hallelujah!

The question remains: Why is God interested in us being Prepared? There are many reasons, which include: The fact that the days we’re in is evil, and you can’t afford to leave yourself unprepared to the onslaught of the devil (Ephesians 5:16); God cannot pour himself to an unserious and unprepared vessel (Rev. 3:16); unprepared vessels slow God’s agenda and fulfillment of his purpose (Hebrews 5:12-14); when you’re prepared you become competent and skillful in God’s hand to carry out his assignment (Daniel 1); You miss out of God’s best and blessings when you stay unprepared (Numbers 13); When you’re unprepared, you do more damage than good to God’s work (1 Samuel 15:1-28); When you’re not prepared the enemy will be prepared against you (2 Cor.2:11; 1 Pet.5:8); and finally, the return of the Lord Jesus can happen unannounced – God forbid you’re unprepared – because only the prepared will be caught with him in the sky (1 Thessalonians 4:13-17). Today we have too many casualties in the body of Christ – all due to UNPREPAREDNESS and UNYIELDEDNESS to God’s will for their lives.

While speaking to His disciples, Jesus said to them, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore, pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest” (Matt. 9:37-38). You see, God has a need of labourers. Unfortunately, He cannot send anyhow labourers into the harvest field. Yes, he can’t entrust his Kingdom Business to untested and empty vessels – labourers who are UNPREPARED – that would cause damage to the kingdom. For this reason, God takes His time to search and send out labourers who are willing, prepared, and ready for his use. If I may ask: How prepared are you as a vessel? The bible declares in 2 Timothy 2:20-21, “But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.” Three major lessons from this scripture we just read is that: (1) God will not do for you what you can do for yourself; (2) God is not responsible for the choice of the vessel you become; (3) When you decide on the vessel you become – honour or dishonor – God shows up!

As a vessel of honour, you become a useful tool for God’s use; and as a vessel of dishonor, you are discarded, and unfit for the master’s use. Remember, the choice still remains yours – “If any man purges himself”. Listen, God isn’t going to make the decision for you to be purged. It’s your personal decision. When you do, He quickly rush down for your aid and begins to work in you and through you for His glory to be revealed. But you know what? The purging takes time. It’s not instant; it’s not done in a hurry. It is your time of PREPARATION to become what God wants you to be. This period of preparation is never sweet for most people. Why? You get denied of certain pleasures or privileges others may be enjoying. This period of purging is what Pastor Creflo Dollar called: “The Silent Years of Ministry” when no one care to know who you are; no one listens to your message or invite you to come and minister; but God is busy brooding, shaping and making you to become who He wants you to be. Never forget, your preparation time is not a wasted time. God is more interested in what he wants you to become, than what you are trying to become.

As I begin to round off, just know that in life, what is yours is yours. The position God has kept for you in life, no one can take it away from you. You’re the only person who can short-changed what God has planned and designed for your destiny. Just be obedient, be patient and follow through to God’s training to reign in life. There is a saying that, “Success occurs when preparation meets opportunity.” This is to say that, a man’s announcement to the world occurs when he has been thoroughly prepared and equipped (Matthew 4). You see, when you always fight to get or achieve something, and yet, it does not get to your hands, then just know two things: It’s either it’s not yours; or it’s yours but not yet time. There are certain privileges the Lord will not give to you or allow you to handle. Why? He doesn’t want you to die before your time. He knows you will not be able to handle such an opportunity or blessing. Therefore, there is a need for you to get prepared and be matured to handle it. The book of Galatians 4:1-2 declares, “Now I say that the heir, as long as he is a child, does not differ at all from a slave, though he is master of all, but is under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the father.” In this scripture we just read, the time appointed is the preparation time required for the heir to grow and mature to be able to handle and enjoy his inheritance allotted to him by his father. Remember, In God’s Kingdom, you don’t bribe your way for promotion. You prepare for growth and mature your way for promotion. You’re Blessed. Have a Fantastic Week. With love, Elvis!