Last week we began a study into the conversation that began when the disciples remarked about the beauty of the Temple in Luke 21. As a recap, Jesus used their statement to start a discourse as to what the end of the age would be like and what they were to look for as far as the signs that would signify that that time was drawing close. This discourse is known today as the The Olivet Prophecy.
Luke 21:5 And as some spake of the temple, how it was adorned with goodly stones and gifts, he said, 21:6 As for these things which ye behold, the days will come, in the which there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.
Jesus responded by saying, yes, they are beautiful now, but as incredible as it may seem, there will come a time when all these stones will be knocked down. This prompted the disciples to ask Jesus what would be the sign of His coming and when would these things happen.
Luke 21:7 And they asked him, saying, Master, but when shall these things be? and what sign will there be when these things shall come to pass?
Jesus made use of His disciples' remark regarding the Temple to begin His prophecy of the end times, to teach them what they should watch for in the future and to warn them about the ominous things that were going to occur. And then at the end of the discourse, Jesus told them that they must watch and pray always that they might be accounted worthy. This was not meant just for the twelve in Jesus' day but for all those who would become Christ's disciples down through the ages.
Luke 21:36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.
Many Scriptures in the Bible admonish us to take heed and to "watch" because the Day of the Lord (Christ's return) will come like "a thief in the night" to those who are not awake, alert, and diligently watching.
Whether this warning applies to when our lives end when we die (and it could end suddenly, we just never know), or at the time when Christ returns; the emphasis is that it is very important that we keep watch as to our spiritual condition at all times ensuring that no matter when the end comes for us personally, we will be prepared and readied and therefore accounted worthy to be in God's Kingdom.
Matthew 24:42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
Luke 21:34 And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. 21:35 For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. 21:36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.
From the context of this passage we are able to see that the message is not necessarily a command to watch world events so that we will know when Jesus will return and we will know when we are to be ready. Rather, His instruction is a warning to watch, to be alert, to be continually on guard as to how we are living and to be always examining our lives to make sure we are walking with God, obeying Him in all things.
Jesus' message is instructing us to be vigilant about our own spiritual state, as well as being circumspect and spiritually AWAKE as to how we live our lives, making sure that we are staying on the strait and narrow, and not allowing ourselves to become weighed down with the burdens and cares of this world. He is warning us to the danger that if we do not "watch" ourselves and keep "alert" to our spiritual condition, we could start to allow ourselves to become lackadaisical or (lukewarm) or lose God's Spirit altogether. If we are not diligently seeking God, then self-indulgence, selfishness, and material concerns (cares of this world) will creep up on us to distract us and possibly divert us from our spiritual responsibilities, (and even our calling) and we would find ourselves spiritually unprepared when the end does come.
As Stewards Of Our Lives
This in no way implies that we are to avoid following the world news and current affairs that are happening, for we need to be prudent in discerning the signs of our times. As good stewards (and watchmen) we are to be observant and keep abreast of what is happening and take precautions to protect ourselves and others when the time does come.
The Bible does not tell us the exact time of Christ's return but in Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21 Jesus does give us some specific signs that we are to look for that show when His return is imminent.
In Proverbs Solomon tells us that the wise person takes proper precautions when they see danger ahead; and Paul teaches in Timothy that we are to take care of and provide for our own families.
Proverbs 27:12 A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself; but the simple pass on, and are punished.
1st Timothy 5:8 But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.
God through the prophet Zephaniah tells us that those who are faithful and walking in righteousness will be hid [protected] in the day of God's anger.
Zephaniah 2:3 Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD'S anger.
To take good care of our lives and the lives of our families, to keep body and mind healthy and as safe as possible, necessitates that we stay on top of current events and what is happening in our present-day world. As good stewards, God expects that we use wisdom to avoid the harmful pitfalls and dangerous situations that are all around us if at all possible. We are to look to Him as our refuge and help, but at the same time to do what we can to not tempt Him by not taking proper precautions for the times we are living in and for the perilous times that are coming.
How many of us take precautions when we see that a damaging storm is coming; prepare as best we can for it and then seek cover? Even human wisdom dictates that it is prudent to maintain an extra supply of water, food and first aid items in the event of power outages or other unforeseeable emergencies when we could not get to the store to buy what we need during times of crisis. Solomon gives much advice about how being prepared can spare us a lot of trouble and can even save our lives.
Proverbs 6:4 Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids. 6:5 Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler. 6:6 Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: 6:7 Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, 6:8 Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.
Proverbs 30:25 The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer;
We may ask; "but what about what Jesus says in Matthew 6 about not being anxious over physical things?" God does not want us to be overly anxious and spending our time worrying over physical things as the Gentiles [unbelievers] worry and are desperately seeking after these things without looking to God to help provide. God still expects His children to do their part when it is possible to do so, just as He expects us to be good stewards in all areas of our lives.
Matthew 6:25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, [perpetually uneasy, distracted] what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? 6:26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? 6:27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? 6:28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: 6:29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 6:30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? 6:31Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 6:32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 6:34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. [So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.]
We need to use wisdom that God gives in regard to planning ahead but also to put first things first; and that is to stay close to God and to be obeying Him always and trusting that He will provide us with what we need, and that includes what we need to know when it comes to the end times. (Matthew 6:33)
In Luke 12, Jesus gives another vivid illustration of how we should be watching as we live our day to day lives. Regardless of when Christ returns, in the second watch or in third watch, what is important is that His servants are ready spiritually at all times and therefore they will be blessed and rewarded. Christ will bless those who are fulfilling their responsibilities regardless of how late it is when He comes; those that are not allowing themselves to become lax and sleepy, but are vigilant and conscientious about their duty to not let the thief (or thieves) break in and steal the precious items out of the Master's house.
Luke 12:35 Let our loins be girded about, and your lights burning; 12:36 And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he comet and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. 12:37 Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them. 12:38 And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants. 12:39 And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through. 12:40 Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.
God's servants cannot allow themselves to be distracted by just waiting and wishing for Christ's return and allowing that to interfere with their work and neglecting their duties that they have been charged with. Continuing along the same theme, Jesus then gave another parable about the faithful and wise steward who is compared to the unfaithful steward who neglects his duties as a steward over God's household and begins to take advantage of the position that God has entrusted him with.
Luke 12:42 And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season? 12:43 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. 12:44 Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath.
But woe to that servant who abuses those that are placed under his care and uses them for his own advantage. These are the hirelings and not the true shepherds that were supposed to watch over the sheep and keep them well nourished and protected.
Luke 12:45 But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken;
12:46 The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.
12:47 And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.
12:48 But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.
A servant's (or a steward's) job is not all that exciting at times and the work may seem boring, mundane, and tiring. The servant may begin to think that what is required of him isn't really all that important and doesn't really matter that much. He can be tempted to let down because he sees that his master is delaying his coming, that maybe he can goof off a little bit, take his time in preparing thinking that he can hurry and get ready when he begins to see the signs that the master is about to return. In fact, sometimes that may be the motive behind being obsessed so much with the news and prophecy with the mindset that we can put off getting ready until we begin to sees things coming together; some fool themselves into thinking that they can scramble around and get ready for Christ's return at the last minute. Some may see that things are not moving along as quickly as they had been taught, so they may reason that there is still time to get caught up with things that the world has to offer, thinking that when they do see things begin to happen they can "cram for the finals", so to speak. It is easy to reason that we can make up for slacking off in our prayer, study, obedience to God's Word until the last minute and somehow be ready in spite of our lack of preparation over the long haul.
But this is not what Jesus desires of His servants. The servants' responsibility is to get themselves prepared, taking advantage of every minute that they still have and to work at helping their fellow brethren be prepared as well. This is especially true of those placed in leadership roles who have the responsibility of feeding the flock. But no matter what part we have been given to do in caring for the Ekklesia, the Master wants us to be diligent in performing all of our tasks that He has assigned each of us to do while we wait for His return. If we are focused too much on the timing of the Master's return, it will tend to distract us from our duties. And that, too, is another reason why He tells us to watch and pray that we may be counted worthy; for if we do not know when He is coming, but are anticipating that He could come at any time, that should help us to be even more attentive to what He has given us to do; faithfully carrying out the work of managing our own lives and also the work of managing God's household [His Ekklesia].
But if the servants are not fulfilling their responsibilities and instead begin to excessively eat and drink and seek the material goods for themselves while at the same time neglecting the proper feeding and nourishment (proper teaching of God's Word) of the members of the household, and then to beat or take advantage of the ones that have been placed into their care, they will ultimately face God's judgment. And they will not be allowed to be in God's Kingdom, for by doing such things they have disqualified themselves.
We must take this admonition very seriously for this is very specific to the end time Ekklesia and this is exactly what has been happening in our recent history in the COG's. Those who have been put into leadership positions need to heed and be sure that they are feeding the flock [the truth of God and His proper doctrines] and caring for them right up until the time of Christ's return no matter when that may occur. And if they abuse those who look to them as their pastors and leaders, Christ will come at a time when they think not and they will be held accountable.
When we become one of Christ's, He gives us gifts and talents and expects us to be good stewards and to use them to benefit the rest of the Body which brings glory to Him. When we stand before God in the resurrection, we look forward to hearing God say to us "Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord". (Matthew 25:14-30)
Romans 14:12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.
Prayer: Our Life-Line to the Father
Luke 21:36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.
Along with watching and spiritually preparing, Jesus admonishes us to pray always; which implies that we must stay in constant communication with our Father. In Matthew 6, Jesus taught His disciples how they were to pray and then gave them an outline of the things they ought to pray about.
Matthew 6:6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. 6:7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. 6:8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him. 6:9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 6:10 Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. 6:11 Give us this day our daily bread. 6:12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 6:13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
Among many things to pray about, we are to pray that God's Kingdom come soon and that His righteousness would be done here on earth. We are so sick of the evil that so permeates the world and it saddens us so much to see the misery that it is bringing to ourselves, our loved ones and all of humanity, that we naturally desire to pray for Christ to return, to abolish the evil from the earth and to usher in His righteousness.
Ezekiel 9:4 And the Lord said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof.
We can pray that God will give us the strength to stay spiritually awake, to be alert to deception and to deceivers, and to deliver us from false teachers. We are to pray that He keeps us from the tempter who tries to subvert us away from following God completely and devotedly. We are to be praying constantly for more of God's Holy Spirit and for His righteousness and holiness and for the help we need to overcome all of our sins and weaknesses.
Jesus told His disciples that in the spirit, or in our minds, we may be willing and zealous for the things of God, but that our flesh is often very weak. Jesus used the phrase "watch and pray" on a couple of different occasions, and one occasion was on the night of His betrayal and arrest. Jesus went out to pray in the Garden of Gethsemane and when He finish praying, He found His disciples sleeping. They had come with Him into the garden and had been sitting waiting for Him a little ways off. He lamented that they could not even pray with Him for one hour and then warned them to "watch and pray so that ye enter not into temptation" and told them that they had willing spirits (minds) but that their flesh was weak. As mere human beings, we all have this tendency as well and need to pray that God would make it possible for us to stay alert and to have strength and energy to do all His will and to resist Satan.
Matthew 26:40 And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour? 26:41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
Sleepiness overcame the disciples while they waited for Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. Their physical need for sleep overpowered their desire to be there for Him when He needed them for encouragement and support. It grieved Him when He saw them sleeping, knowing what lay ahead for them and the temptations that they would soon face and that they, too, were in need of the strength of their heavenly Father to endure the ensuing severe trials.
Jesus warns all of His disciples that we can be easily distracted by the things of this world and even by our own physical desires and weaknesses in these fleshly bodies and that we could be caught unaware at some point if we are not continually watching, praying, and disciplining ourselves.
Just like the disciples in Jesus day, we, too, need to always remain spiritually vigilant, and stay abiding in Him on a daily basis; in prayer, study, meditating and occasional fasting.
Those who pray on a regular basis know the power and support that prayer brings into their lives. Without God's power that prayer allows us to tap into, we would not be able to get through the many difficulties and temptations with which we are confronted every day. As well as praying for help in time of need and for God's strength, we also receive many joys and benefits when we stay in continuous contact with God. Constant communication with our Father strengthens our relationship with Him just as loving, heart-felt communicating between two loving married people that are bonded when they keep the gates of communication open between them sharing all of their hopes, dreams, aspirations, doubts, and fears with each other; we do this with our heavenly Father and our Espoused Husband through spontaneous prayer throughout the day as we go about our tasks of living.
John 15:7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
Philippians 4:6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
Mark 11:24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive [them], and ye shall have [them].
1st Thessalonians 5:17 Pray without ceasing.
Luke 11:9 And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
Romans 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
Luke 18:1 And he spake a parable unto them [to this end], that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;
It is through prayer and having open on-going communication with God that we receive the power from Him to overcome Satan, resist the pleasures of this world, and overcome our own carnal nature. It is through prayer along with watching our spiritual condition that makes it possible to be accounted worthy to stand before Christ when He returns.
Paul teaches us to be persistent in prayer with perseverance for the Ekklesia and to give thanksgiving for all things.
Ephesians 6:18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
Colossians 4:2 Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving;
While the needs of our flesh have quite a bit of power over our minds, and over our wills, God's Holy Spirit dwelling within us is even greater if we will only employ it whenever we fill the pull of our carnal natures. And one way we employ the power of God's Holy Spirit is through watchfulness, combined with prayer which will help us to be counted worthy because we prayed for the help we needed, we confess our sins and ask for forgiveness when we saw the need; and it is through prayer that we draw close to God by staying in constant communication with Him.
Watching and praying are two disciplines that can help us master the inclinations of the flesh and also the temptations that we face on a daily basis. Prayer helps us to endure as we learn to submit our flesh to the WILL of God and to grow into spiritual maturity and the fullness of His Holy Spirit.
In truth, we can only remain faithful and walk with God when we are devoted to prayer and keeping the lines of communication active and alive with our Father in heaven. In prayer, we constantly ask God to show us our faults, to forgive us, to cleanse us, to guide us into all truth, to teach us what we need to know and if we do that, He promises to supply us with the power we need to "not faint" but to overcome all things.
We must pray on a daily basis for more of God's Holy Spirit and to strengthen us to obey Him and for help to endure the suffering of this present life until the very end. We must also pray for the spirit of vigilance and the power to stay clear of the distractions that so easily come upon us.
Many of us have been waiting, praying for, and looking for Christ's return for decades now, even so, we must not allow ourselves to become weary and let down at this late hour. Pray that God will give us strength and endurance especially for the hard times ahead knowing that every day brings us ever closer to our Lord's glorious appearing no matter when it should come.
Filling our Lamps With Oil
The whole purpose of our lives is to seek God and to grow in the grace and knowledge of Him and all of His ways, to become all that God would have us to be so that we will be filled with His divine nature and reflect the kind of character He has. We have been called to become like the Father and His Son, to become the kind of beings that they are, full of godly love and godly attributes; children made in the very spiritual image of God our Father. This takes a lifetime of learning, molding, fashioning, studying to become perfect [complete] as the Father desires us to be, with the help of His Holy Spirit which we are to draw upon to facilitate our growth and to help us to be overcomers.
Jesus tells us in the Parable of the Ten Virgins that we must not become lax and let the oil in our lamps dwindle, but must have our lamps adequately filled with oil at all times. We must be letting our lights shine while we wait for our Lord, not allowing the light of God's Spirit to flicker out, but rather increasing in the power of the Holy Spirit, filling ourselves up with it on a daily basis and not letting it diminish.
This parable has profound implications for all of God's people no matter what time slot in history that they would have lived, but appears to be speaking more specifically of the era just before the coming of Jesus and about the condition of the Ekklesia when the whole Body has have fallen asleep. The Scriptures clearly state that all ten of the virgins went to sleep which is what has happened in the end time Ekklesia.
The ten virgins are admonished to go and buy oil for their lamps when it is readily available in plenty of time before the bridegroom comes for them. Even if they did not know at what time He would come, they were instructed that they needed to be sure that they would have enough oil to keep their lamps burning at all times right up until the time of the Bridegroom's arrival.
The purpose of our physical lives is not to live as though this present physical world is all that matters and setting our hearts on the things that the worldly set their hearts on and at the same time neglecting the things of God. Rather, as the parable of the ten virgins shows; five of them procured the oil for their lamps when it was possible to do so and then when the time came for the wedding they took their lamps and went forth to meet the Bridegroom. The allegory is about deliberately living our lives with the purpose of being ready for Christ's return at all times.
Matthew 25:1 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. 25:2 And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 25:3 They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: 25:4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 25:5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. 25:6 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. 25:7 Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. 25:8 And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. 25:9 But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. 25:10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.
The ten virgins are awakened by a cry in the night. At midnight they are suddenly told that the bridegroom is just about to appear and they have just enough time to wake up, trim their lamps and go out to meet Him. At that point there is no time to go get any more oil, and the shops that sell are all closed.
It is imperative that we as God's vessels and as His spiritual Temple be filled with God's Holy Spirit and showing forth the fruit of that Spirit (and not the works of the flesh) with our lights shining and that we are ready, prepared, and eager to meet our espoused Husband. We are to be ready no matter when He should come; either early or late; either now today; if we should die sometime before His coming, or if we should still be alive at His return.
Olive oil is symbolic for the Holy Spirit and that is what we need to be filled with, seeking to be filled on a daily basis until the very end. In order for us to have oil we must "buy" it, and how do we buy it? It cannot be bought with money and no one else can give it to us. We buy it by how we use our time, our resources, and our lives in seeking the spiritual things of God and being filled with them.
Isaiah 55:1 Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. 55:2 Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.
We buy oil with how we use our time; it takes time to go to the Source that provides it to us; to read, study, meditate, apply what we learn, to root out the carnal things in our hearts that should not be there, to be constantly measuring ourselves and making proper adjustments where we see that we are still in error and then repent. It takes time to absorb all of God's teachings and to incorporate His divine nature into our very being; it takes time to grow up to the full image of Christ. And as clay on the Potter's wheel, it takes a long time to be made into a vessel of honor fit for the Master's use and into teachers and priests for the Kingdom that God can use to make known the riches of His glory to the rest of the world.
2nd Timothy 2:21 If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.
Romans 9:23 And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,
If we do not do it now (in the day called "today") we will not be ready at "the end" either when we die or at Christ's appearing. We will not be able to scramble around in a hurry at the last minute to be filled with the Spirit and have the character that we will need to be members of God's Family and godly leaders in His Kingdom.
We are so privileged to be called to train in this life to be a part of Christ's collective bride and it is so very important that we do not waste our calling, forfeiting our blessing and heritage by neglecting the opportunity to become priests and kings for Him while we have our chance.
Hebrews 2:3 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;
Matthew 25:11 Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. 25:12 But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. 25:13 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.
At the end of our lives or at the end of this present age of man's rule, the period of preparation will have come to an end; the wedding is just about to take place and while the other foolish virgins are desperately scrambling around to get oil for their lamps, the door shuts and they are not allowed to be part of the wedding ceremony. They missed the opportunity that God had given to them; to be called out from this world and to participate in His great plan of redemption, to help Christ in the restoration of the earth and in the building of His holy and righteous Kingdom. And all because they did not heed Jesus' warning to watch themselves, take stock of their spiritual condition on a day to day basis; and they did not make the necessary preparations to be ready when He returns, no matter when that day should be.
WARNING to the End-time Ekklesia
Even though we might be able to determine the general timetable as we see certain events start to take place, God is keeping the exact time of His return a secret for now. Even if we were able to come to know of certain prophetic details unknown to others, but if we are not spiritually prepared at our death or at Christ's return, all our time spent in seeking the details and speculating would be a waste of time for that is not what makes us prepared. It is yielding to and seeking to please our Espoused Husband; that is what gets us ready and prepared!
How should we be spending our time then? By concentrating on the responsibilities that we have been given and the job that God has given each one of us to do which is purifying and cleansing ourselves from sin and internalizing the very nature of God and striving to live by every Word of God.
No, Brethren, it is not wrong to keep on top of world news and to observe and discern what direction events are taking us, and in fact it is prudent to do so and God expects us to do so. But "watching" is about much more than that; we are to also be diligently watching our spiritual condition, and seek full spiritual UNITY with God; being awake and alert to the things of the Spirit as our top priority, even more so than keeping alert to the physical dangers.
If we are seeking God and His righteousness first, God will provide the things that are needed to divert the physical dangers. And even if we do have to die or even to be martyred; the most important priority is that we remained faithful to the end of this physical life, and then our heavenly Father will keep His promise to us: to raise us up on resurrection day, to give us eternal life and to become members of His own Family.
Clearly, the Bible speaks of Christ coming at a time when most do not expect Him, but we are to be about our Father's business; discerning what He wants us to do with our lives in this present time while growing in grace and in spiritual knowledge and conforming to His likeness as we live each day for Him. And if the wait seems long, it is because God is giving us plenty of time to conform and to overcome so that we will be fully capable of exercising our responsibilities in His Kingdom.
In its present spiritual condition, the Ekklesia as a whole cannot do an effective work of preaching the Gospel until it cleans up its act and shrugs off its Laodicean condition; for if it tries to tell the world how they should repent and and how they ought to be living when we, as the supposed people of God, refuse to live those things ourselves, are we not making fools of ourselves and the world sees us as hypocrites?
Therefore it is much more fitting to take care of our poor and blind spiritual condition at this time knowing that becoming holy and righteous is what makes us worthy to stand before Christ rather than anything we do to bring about prophecy.
God will take care of the prophecy part if we do our part in taking care of the examining and aligning ourselves with His will at this time. God already knows what He is going to do and how He will bring it to past. Our task is to stay close enough to God that we recognize the signs when they do occur and to submit to what He has ordained.
When the time comes for all the things in Luke 21 and Matthew 24 to be fulfilled, they will be fulfilled according to what God has appointed and not how we think those things should be done. We are nothing but the clay, it is the Master Potter who determines what He wants to happen as He has planned before the foundation of the world.
Isaiah 64:8 But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.
In Luke 21:36 Jesus is exhorting us to be focused on becoming holy and going on to perfection in order that we become "spiritually worthy" and able to stand before our Lord when He does return. Whatever role God has given to each one of us as a part of doing His work and in building up the Body, our focus is on becoming set apart [holy] from the world and to become righteous by yielding to the sanctification process that He is putting us through. It is through the process of becoming holy and going on to perfection that we become "spiritually worthy" and able to be used by God in whatever capacity He ordains.... whether it be large or small. Our goal is to be able to say with Jesus "....nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done." (Luke 22:42) and ....."Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven". (Matthew 6:10)
The Ekklesia's first obligation is to become holy and spiritually worthy to become the Bride of Christ. And we are to be warning each other and admonishing each other (as individuals and as a corporate body) to turn from our sin and errors when we see that we are not conforming to God's will (Isaiah 58:1).
Hebrews 6:1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,
It is God's will that His Ekklesia is made clean and white without spot or wrinkle in time for Christ's return. That is the Work of God at this point in time, to get His Bride prepared for His return and qualified to assist Him in reconciliating the rest of the world to the Father. And He is going to bring to pass that which will help her to become worthy to stand before Him in the resurrection.
Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 5:26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 5:27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
God is doing far more than just bringing His prophetic events to pass; He is in the process of creating His sons and daughters into His image. The process of making sure that we measure up to the full stature of Jesus Christ requires a lifetime of yielding to what He wants for us, keeping our focus on Him and on His Word and using our time and energy far beyond simply waiting for and striving to know when the end will come.
God is doing a marvelous thing and our job is to submit to what He is doing with us today, then taking one day at a time being diligent to stay alert and awake while walking with Him, no matter what, to ensure that we are prepared and readied no matter what day He should appear.
2nd Corinthians 3:18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
Ephesians 4:13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
The time to get ready is NOW....to do just what Peter is saying in the following verses so that we are properly prepared; for if we should die before Christ comes or whenever He should come; whether its at the second watch or the third watch or whatever watch He has appointed for it to happen, we will be ready.
2nd Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. 3:11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, 3:12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? 3:13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. 3:14 Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.
If it seems that Christ is taking a long time to return and set up the Kingdom, we can take advantage of the time here in the flesh to grow in His grace and knowledge even more, and to overcome even more fully of our sinful nature. We can take advantage of the wait to become even more competent, skilled, godly leaders because of the extra time we have been given to learn and to grow while living in these human bodies during this present evil age knowing that it is working God's character into us.
Romans 8:16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 8:17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. 8:18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 8:19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. 8:20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, 8:21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
Be Zealous and Proactive
When we practice the art of watching and praying we are not being passive; rather we are engaging in something that is very proactive. Both (watching and praying) are vital tools we need to wage spiritual warfare.
If we are one of Christ's and while we live in these fleshy bodies, we are at war with the elements of this world; the spiritual rulers of this age, and we are at war with those who are under Satan's influence.
Ephesians 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high [places].
1st Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
But with God on our side (if we are His faithful children) He assures us that He will help give us the victory.
Luke 10:19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
1st John 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
Ephesians 6:11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
Romans 16:20 And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.
We will gain extra wisdom and discernment of what God is doing if we are staying close to Him and if we are diligently studying God's Word and praying about the things that we see happening around us. The more we trust Him and obey His commandments, the more understanding He will give to us.
Psalm 111:10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.
As we come to understand these things and are given more insight into the purposes of God, we will have more of a desire to partner with Christ and do the Work of God in teaching and proclaiming (and exemplifying) the Good News of the Way of Salvation to the brethren and to the unconverted world that so desperately needs God's warning and admonition to repent and believe the Gospel message.
When we live with zealous expectation of the Lord's return and seek to please God with all our hearts, we are more likely to keep our lives pure and our hearts ready always to meet Him, either at our death and resurrection, or when He comes back to earth in all of His Glory and we are caught up in the air with Him (1st Thessalonians 4:17).
We are to foremost be constantly examining our walk, striving always to keeping ourselves pure from sin, and devoting ourselves to internalizing the divine nature of God by feeding on His Word and giving all diligence to obey all that it says.
The question we need to ask ourselves then is whether we will be prepared and be in alignment with God and His Word, and therefore can be used as one of His instruments which is much more important than to ask the specific day and hour of His return. We need to look to Jesus always and have a walk worthy of our calling so that we can be directed by Him as He completes His work on earth during these end times which includes completing His work within each one of us as well. This can only be done if we let Him lead and show us every step of the way as He deems fit. It is by faith that we allow God to reveal to us certain things in His own timing rather than to assume we already know what He is going to do and just how things are going to happen. Many things are not being revealed to us at this time as far as details, but we are to walk by faith regardless. ( Habakkuk 2:4, 2nd Corinthians 5:7, Hebrews 10:38)
God is the one that is in charge, He controls all things; He will do what He is going to do and nothing can thwart His great Plan. He will get His Bride ready and spotless; and at the same time He will also get the Gospel out to the world and bring to pass the various end time prophecies. We read in Isaiah 55:11 that His Word does not return to Him void but it will accomplish what He pleases; and in other verses, that it is only what God wants to happen is what will happen, no matter what the plans of men may be.
Isaiah 55:11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
Proverbs 19:21 There are many devices in a man's heart; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand.
Psalm 33:11 The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.
By telling us to watch and pray, Jesus is urging us to strive to become at one with God the Father and with Himself and to be holy as they are holy. They are in complete and total agreement with each other and we are to be using our time while we have our lives to become one in complete unity with them as well. It is to this oneness that God desires so very much to bring us to, not merely intellectually, but in the very depths of our beings and in all of our conduct, words, and attitudes. This is our duty while we have these lives and this is how we fight against the evil forces that seem to be dominating in the world at this time just before Christ comes to take over.
What makes us worthy to escape the things that Jesus prophecies for the latter days, but more importantly to be accounted worthy to stand before Him at the time of the resurrection of the just? We are to be watching our day to day walk and our spiritual condition, staying constant in prayer and being alert to what God is doing in our lives, using our time to allow God to fashion and mold us into His image.
Being faithful to God and His Word is what will make us worthy to escape all the things that are going to happen in the end times, not exclusively watching and trying to speculate as how prophecy will unfold. If our main focus is only on endtime events, that is what will tend to take up most of our time while simultaneously neglecting our Christian duties and time spent with our Lord. Indeed, if we are spiritually unprepared, we will not understand the signs of the times and so we will be taken unawares when the prophetic events do finally happen.
The Father and His Son are the epitome of holiness and righteousness and if we are to be one with them, we are to become holy, and exemplify their righteousness. It is a life-long endeavor to become like them and it is our greatest challenge in this life, but it will be well worth the effort if we stay vigilant to the end. And some day soon God's Kingdom (that we have been anticipating for so many years) will finally be a reality.
Let us WATCH and PRAY that we meet that challenge and be victorious and truly be worthy to stand before the Son of Man when He comes to collect His Bride.
Everyone, have a great Sabbath!
Constance
