Be On Watch

If you’ve been a believer for any length of time, you know that Jesus is coming back one day, and on that day, we won’t want to be caught sleeping on the job. We want to be eagerly waiting for him. But that can be difficult, especially if you are one who thinks that Jesus won’t - or even can’t come back in your lifetime. Even if that belief were true, Jesus warns us to behave like he can come back at any time. In Luke chapter 21 verses 34 through 36 Jesus says:

"Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap. For it will come on all those who live on the face of the whole earth. Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man."

We can’t lose sight of the inevitable. Either Jesus will return while we are alive, or we will one day die and meet him. In either case, we don’t know when it will happen, so we must always be on watch because Jesus warns us that it will come on all those who live on the face of the whole earth – so that leaves no one out. Even if you are able to escape the calamity that will happen as described in the scriptures, we all will one day stand before the Son of Man, so I encourage you to always be on watch.

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The fate of the world has already been foretold, so what is happening and what will happen should come as no surprise. But the timing will come as a surprise to all of us. That being the case, Jesus warns us to always be on the watch. I encourage you to live as if at any moment you might stand before the Son of Man. In doing so, even if you are taken by surprise by dying suddenly or witnessing Jesus’ return, you will avoid falling into the trap that many will find themselves in.

Poverty Nor Riches

If you live in America, you live in a country of excess. Not only is every American rich in comparison to most of the world, but it is in our nature to continue to want more and more. Proverbs 30 verses 8 and 9 shows us what the heart of a believer should be toward our finances. It says: 

"Give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God."

The less fleshly barriers and distractions we have in our life, the more we can be used by God, and the easier we can align ourselves to his will. This proverb teaches us that both riches and poverty can be a stumbling block. If we have too much we may begin to think we don’t need God, and if we have too little we may become desperate and do something that dishonors God. So I encourage you, if you are blessed financially, use some of your finances to help those who are struggling. In doing so, you will prove that money doesn’t control you, you’ll be helping others who are desperate, and you will be storing up treasures in heaven.

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The verses from Proverbs 30 should be every believer’s prayer; for God to give us neither riches or poverty, but only our daily bread. It goes against our fleshly desires to ask for only what we need and nothing more, but it makes it easier for us to stay in step with our God because we won’t feel overly secure in our wealth or desperate in our poverty.

World Hates Me

Lately it has become painfully apparent that our nation and our world is going further and further away from the principles that God laid out in his word. Not only that, but our nation is changing at such a rapid pace, that Christians who only recently were viewed as good, moral people are now being looked at as hateful, non-tolerant bigots. For several years I’ve read about persecution in other nations, but I felt confident that I wouldn’t experience what they have to go through in America. But as of late, I’m not so sure. Jesus tell us in John 7:7:

"The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that its works are evil."

Jesus was talking to his biological half-brothers here. They didn’t believe that Jesus was the messiah, and were egging him on to make himself a public spectacle. But Jesus tells them that the world cannot hate them, likely because their ways agree with the world. But that it does hate Jesus because he testifies that the world’s works are evil. If we simply live a life for Christ in today’s world, by default we testify that its works are evil. And by doing so we, ourselves are hated. So I encourage you to be mindful of what it will cost you to call yourself a Christian now and in the days to come.

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In America it is becoming less and less popular to identify as a Christian. By just standing by our beliefs we will, and are, being looked at as a hate group and as such are being hated by the world. Jesus said that the world hated him because he testifies that its works are evil. With more and more sin being condoned - and even celebrated in our country, American believers will come face to face with being hated just for believing in Jesus. If you believe in Jesus, I pray that you remain strong in the faith, and respond to any hate directed at you only with love. Jesus never told us to fight fire with fire, but to respond to hate with love.

Give Praise

Have you ever prayed for something and then God answers your prayers? It could be anything, big or small, but it was important enough to plead for God’s intervention and he came through for you. If God has answered your prayers, do you take time to praise Him for what he has done? If not, I encourage you to. It can be easy to focus so much on the deliverance or the answer to our prayers that we forget to praise the one who made it happen. Jesus knows all about this when he healed the 10 lepers and only one came back to praise him. It says in Luke 17, verses 15 – 18:

"One of them, when he saw he was healed came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him – and he was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, 'Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?'"

Can you imagine being healed of something as severe as leprosy? A disfiguring disease that requires you to cry out “unclean, unclean” as a warning to others wherever you went and then being completely healed of that? You’d think praise to God would be automatic, but it wasn’t. I encourage you to be like the one who returned to give God praise. It doesn’t matter if it was a huge answered prayer or a small answered prayer, we need to give God the praise, glory and adoration for what he has done.

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When God blesses us, answers our prayers or in any way intervenes on our behalf, we should always stop to give him praise. Don’t rob him of the praise that is do him. At times, God may answer our prayer in a way that seems like his hand wasn’t involved. We might have believed that what we prayed for would’ve naturally happen anyway and the prayer that we prayed was just one added measure to make sure. Or that it was coincidence, not God’s hand, that caused things to work out right. Always remember, if you prayed for something, and whatever you prayed for came to pass – whether it is as incredible as divine healing, or as seemingly natural as receiving the phone call you were hoping for, give praise to God.

Be Their Voice

I don’t know about you, but I love going to the movie theatre. I love the escape of watching a good story with great acting and incredible special effects. Lately you may have noticed a rash of superhero movies. I love those too, and often times wish I had some kind of super power that I could use to help those in need. Well, Proverbs teaches us that we don’t have to be a Hollywood superhero for God to use us to help other. We just have to have a mouth and we have to be bold. Proverbs 31:8 says:

"Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute."

The bible teaches us time and time again that for those who have been given much, much is expected. Those who are rich practice philanthropy, those who are blessed with wisdom take on positions of leadership, and yes those of us who can speak for ourselves can also speak up for those who can’t. I encourage you to embrace this concept. If you do, in your own special way, you may be a superhero to those who can’t speak for themselves.

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“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute”. I encourage you to consider those who can’t speak for themselves. It could be speaking up for someone who is being bullied, getting involved with orphans or abused children, volunteering in an organization that supports the less fortunate, or going on a mission trip. Whatever enters your heart I encourage you to pursue. Because if you’re open, I’m certain that you will find loads of opportunities.