Events in the Middle East rightfully cause us great concern.

Make no mistake, these are important signs.

Jesus says, “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet” (Matthew 24:6).

But it appears as though a growing number of people are fearful at the prospect of the Lord’s soon return. Instead of hope, they are filled with fear. Some are terrified at the thought that they’re not good enough or faithful enough, and maybe they’ll be left behind. Some are rightfully scared because they’ve not really been born again into the family of God. But real Children of God don’t have to struggle with such fears.

Hear what the Spirit says through Titus 2:11-14. If you struggle with fears, know someone who does, or simply want to be ready, the Holy Spirit wants to help you with a Jesus warning, a grace word, and 3 tips to help you live filled and ready for His return.

The Jesus warning is this— DO NOT BE DECEIVED!

This warning is from Matthew 24. Several times in that End Times chapter, Jesus warns us about deception. His disciples had come to Him privately and asked, “What will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” Jesus replied with many warnings that are summed up as do not be deceived. Hear these 4 verses from Jesus.

Matthew 24:4, “Take heed that no one deceives you.”
Matthew 24:5, “For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.”
Matthew 24:11, “Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.”
Matthew 24:24, “For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.”

One of the oldest tricks of the devil, all the way back to the Garden of Eden, and one of the surest signs of the last days, is deception. If you struggle with fear at the prospects of the Lord’s return, it could be nothing more than demonic deception. The devil wants to make us doubt our salvation and our security in God. So, do not be deceived.

The grace word is this— GOD’S GRACE IS SUFFICIENT!

You can read about this in 2nd Corinthians 12:7-10.

This was the word of the Lord to the Apostle Paul when he was having doubts concerning his standing with God. His doubts came because he was going through an extended season of suffering. Paul described this suffering as a “thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan.” He prayed and prayed, and he prayed some more. But it seemed like God wasn’t answering. And the Lord spoke to Paul and encouraged him with these words; “My grace is sufficient for you.” The Spirit inspired Paul to say, “Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

Never forget this word. No matter how great your fears or your suffering in this life, God’s grace is sufficient for you!

If you or a Christian friend find yourself plagued with feelings of fear or doubt at the prospect of the Lord’s soon return, IT’S TIME TO GET FILLED. Here are three fills to help you live ready for His return.

1. FILL YOUR MIND WITH SUBSTANTIAL SCRIPTURE.

Get in the Word of God like never before. Read it as the bread of life. Listen to it with the YouVersion app. Immerse yourself in His word. With good reason, the Psalmist said, “Your word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 19:14). As you fill your mind with His word, it will inspect you, direct you, and protect you.

Jeremiah told God, “Your words were found, and I ate them, And Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart” (Jeremiah 15:16). Joy and rejoicing in the heart sound like much better alternatives to me than living with fear and doubt about our Lord’s imminent return (blessed hope).

Jesus says, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). So if you’re only feeding your mind the bread of this world instead of the bread of God’s Word, you’ll live in fear and doubt. Your mind needs God’s Word! A lifestyle that avoids Scripture throughout the week will starve your soul!

2. FILL YOUR HEART WITH SPIRITUAL SONGS.

If you’re a born-again Christian, you’re a new creation in Christ. Your character should be under constant development. Did you know the Holy Spirit commands us to fill our hearts with spiritual songs through the Holy Scripture?

Colossians 3:16 says, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” With a little effort, you can do this– (Psalm 89:1).

If you’re a Spotify user, our church has a “MyHCC” playlist that you can subscribe to. Anyone with a smartphone is without excuse. Pop in some headphones and fill your heart with spiritual songs. This is simple wisdom for every follower of Christ needing consecration.

This walk of wisdom is further encouraged in Ephesians 5:18-19. “And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.”

Wisdom says we can’t speak to one another “in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs” if we’re not filling our hearts with their lyrics.

So, let praise and worship be your passion. If necessary, set aside all other (secular) media entertainment for a season and focus your time, energy, and attention solely on praise and worship songs.

3. FILL YOUR MOUTH WITH REPEATABLE SAYINGS.

Jesus tells us in Matthew 12:34, “For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.”

So, your mouth tells the absolute truth about what has filled your mind and heart. If you’re following the first two fills— your mind with a substantial amount of Scripture and your heart with the lyrics of spiritual songs, your mouth will be filled with repeatable sayings that need to be said aloud (your ears are a gateway to your soul).

It’s time to stop speaking doubt and fears. If you hear your mouth repeating things you don’t like and you don’t want, stop it. Tell yourself, I don’t believe that, and I don’t want that. Ask yourself, what does God’s Word say about me and my situation? Speak that aloud!

Child of God, it’s time to recognize that your words carry authority and power. Speak faith, recite God’s promises, and talk about His goodness!

Remember Romans 10:17, “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

So then, faith comes by hearing the word of God. Again, suppose you’ve practiced the first two. Then, your mouth is filled with repeatable sayings you should be speaking to yourself, your family, and others. “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (Romans 10:8). “With the heart,” you believe, and “with the mouth confession is made” (Romans 10:10). In this context, confession means your mouth is in agreement with God’s Word.

Repeatable sayings should obviously be the rightly interpreted teachings of Scripture and our doctrinally correct spiritual songs. But there are many statements in your NT that you ought to memorize: Mark 9:23, Romans 12:1-2, 1 Timothy 1:15, and 1 Timothy 4:8-9.

When your mind is filled and your heart is filled, your mouth has ample ammunition to resist the devil. So, open your mouth and rebuke him in the name of Jesus Christ. Scripture says that if you resist the devil, he must flee. Speak to the enemy of your soul in the authority of the risen Lord Jesus and remind him that he is a liar and a defeated foe and that his days are soon coming to an end.

We should often use King David’s prayer, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart – Be acceptable in Your sight, – O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer” (Psalm 19:14).

The final word – is a review of our blessed hope!

Let’s take one more look at the beauty of Titus 2:11-14. Meditate on this passage and commit to memory.

“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.”