Green Bananas
I’ve been to at least three prophecy conferences where one of the speakers
opened with the following humorous declaration: “I’m so expectantly looking
forward to the Lord Jesus’ return, I don’t buy green bananas.”
It’s always good to add levity to a presentation. But my mind turns to more
serious thoughts as I wonder whether people are actually following this advice.
The fact is, most confessing believers seem totally oblivious to end-time signs.
They choose their bananas solely according to how fast they expect to consume
them. The coming of the Lord Jesus doesn’t factor into even their most long-term
plans. It is an occurrence they consider about as likely to happen as an epic
disaster such as a mammoth meteor striking the earth. "It could happen," they
think, "but odds are, it won't happen in our lifetime."
Because I’m the head of a prophetic ministry, people occasionally ask me for
advice. Several Christian friends have inquired about what type of long-term
plans they should make in regard to prophecy.
My general advice has always been to stay busy. Our goal should not be to simply
pass the time. We need to be aware that some day, every second of our lives will
be evaluated for its level of productivity.
“For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father
with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works” (Mat
16:27).
It Takes Time
The driving force behind any Christian effort should be the desire to do works
pleasing to God. Without this as our primary consideration, we either give up or
revert to doing everything to please ourselves.
The sense of urgency we feel about what we do should come from a realization of
how much time we need to accomplish God’s will. Bananas may ripen overnight, but
it takes many days to produce fruit that comes from sowing the gospel message.
We spend our junior years just learning the basics of life. It’s not until we
become young adults that we we have gained the skills to truly be productive.
I started Rapture Ready in 1987 when I was 22 years old. I had no idea it would
take me this long to build traffic up to the level we see now. I am very
grateful that I have had 21 years to work on the site. My best guess is that we
don’t have another two decades before the Lord calls his bride home.
My advice for anyone thinking about doing something to help the cause of Christ
is this: "Start now." It is far better to be found in the planning stages of
good works than to be found just sitting around doing nothing.
"Go and preach the good news to everyone in the world.
Anyone who believes me and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to
believe me will be condemned" (Mark 16:15-16 CEV).
We Don’t Know How Much Time We Have Left
The Bible is full of clues about when the tribulation hour will kick off. Jesus
outlined many signs we will see that will tell us that his return is near:
"And he said also to the people, When ye see a cloud rise
out of the west, straightway ye say, There cometh a shower; and so it is. And
when ye see the south wind blow, ye say, There will be heat; and it cometh to
pass. Ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth; but
how is it that ye do not discern this time?" (Luke 12:54-56).
One thing we will never know is the exact day and hour of the rapture:
"But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my
Father only" (Mat. 24:36).
Many people operate according to the game plan that they will stop buying green
bananas when the signs of the time become more prevalent. This isn't a wise
plan, considering what Jesus said in Revelation 3:3: "Remember therefore what
you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent. If therefore you will not
wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come
upon you."
A day will come when it is simply too late to do anything that requires time. A
young child who wishes to grow up to be a preacher may be out of luck if the
Lord is coming back next year. If Jesus is coming next month, the efforts of
someone preparing to lead a mission team to Africa will be equally futile.
Some day, we won’t even have time to eat the ripe bananas. The only thing we can
do is take action now and hope that God’s end-time schedule grants us a few more
years.
Our work is made all the more urgent by the fact that our
progress limits the amount of time we have left. "And this gospel of the kingdom
will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the
end [of this age] will come" (Mat. 24:14).
Buy the Whole Plantation
When I retired from the Air Force, I decided to get away from the base. I moved
up north to a home that is situated just north of Dodge Street. Several blocks
to the east of me, a famous man also lives just off Dodge.
Warren Buffett is currently listed as the richest man in the world. He is the
CEO and largest shareholder of Berkshire Hathaway, a holding company with $120
billion of equity assets.
Berkshire owns a diverse range of businesses, including insurance, candy
production, retail, home furnishings, encyclopedias, vacuum cleaners, jewelry
sales, newspaper publishing, uniform manufacture and distribution, and the
manufacture, import and distribution of footwear.
One thing I find interesting about Buffett–in a tragic way–is that he doesn’t
believe in God. He is listed on several atheist sites as someone who rejects the
idea of a creator.
Despite having hundreds of subsidiaries, Berkshire doesn’t own any firms
involved in the growing of bananas. Knowing how Mr. Buffett operates, it’s
doubtful he would invest in this type of business that traditionally has a low
profit margin.
One day, Buffet will realize there is a Supreme Being who created all things. By
the time he reaches that conclusion, his financial empire will be in great
peril. By the end of the tribulation, little will be left of any type of earthly
wealth.
If men like Warren knew the fate of the world, they would seek to diversify
their holdings into spiritual assets that could survive the tribulation. The
knowledge of future events would cause them to be so profoundly focused on
heavenly matters that they would gladly buy a whole banana plantation, with
every shade of green and yellow bananas readily at hand. They would understand
that even though the green ones might not have time to ripen before the Lord
returns, it's critical to remain busy about His work until the last possible
moment.
"Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come
after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For
whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for
my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole
world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his
soul?" (Mat. 16:24-26).
