Be On The Alert!

Mark 13:37 - "What I say to you I say to all, ‘Be on the alert!’”

Alertness denotes expectation. Jesus did not idly make statements such as "Be on the alert." As He states, this is a warning for us all. While in context this speaks of the end times, we should also be on the alert regarding the nearness of His appearing. How ready are we if Jesus came for us today? I am not merely speaking of His second coming, but what if He called us home today due to death? Would we be embarrassed for Him to find us in our present circumstance? Imagine our surprise if we crossed the veil into eternity and we were having an argument with someone over something petty, or we were flirting with the woman next door, or we were being dishonest with our employer?

Jesus Christ desires us to walk always in the light as He is in the light. Consecration in all areas of our lives now will mean a sanctified life when He returns, whenever that might be. We will have nothing to fear because faith has been the touchstone of our lives. Beloved, we must all remain vigilant, knowing that His return is imminent and our lives on earth are but a vapor that will soon expire.

Power to Transform

Mark 12:24 - "Jesus said to them, 'Is this not the reason you are mistaken, that you do not understand the Scriptures or the power of God?'"

The Pharisees of Jesus' time had become so accustomed to religion that they were totally unaware the Scriptures should contain power. After all, if God's word is merely "words" and does not have power to transform, then what is the sense of their observance? They are then reduced to any other spiritual writings since the dawn of mankind. If all we can do is imitate God rather than being changed by His word, then we are no better off than the Pharisees of Jesus' day.

God's word is creative, so therefore it possesses power (Genesis 1;3). If the word is not transforming our lives, then we may be "mistaken" regarding how we have approached it. Are we looking for religion that fortifies self and makes us feel better about who we are? Or, are we looking for relationship that denies self and desires intimacy with God through His love letters called the Holy Scriptures? If it is the former, then we may clean up well on the outside, but our insides will still resemble hell itself. However, if our desire is the latter, then we will know the power of Christ's transformation as we are renewed daily into His image.

The Prayer of Relationship

Mark 11:24 - "Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you."

Prayer implies relationship. It is the ongoing conversation between God and man. How odd to believe that we will receive anything from the Lord if we only occasionally come to Him with our "wish list!" The reason why prayer either works or it doesn't is faith. And faith is the result of walking and talking with Jesus daily, much like the disciples experienced. The "chutzpah" of those who merely invoke their positional right as sons and daughters of God rather than their ongoing love relationship with the Father regarding praying and asking reveals their dire lack of relationship.

Our ongoing love affair with "Daddy God" will provoke two things: The first is praying only for the things we know He wants because we know Him. The second is asking with the faith of a small child that expects their daddy to give them what they ask. Beware of so-called children of God demanding from God on the basis of their "sonship." If there is not humility in faith in our asking, then it is questionable whether indeed the Holy Spirit is leading.

Justice for All

Nahum 1:3 - "The Lord is slow to anger and great in power, and the Lord will by no means leave the guilty unpunished. In whirlwind and storm is His way, and clouds are the dust beneath His feet."

As the prophet spoke his oracle to the soon-to-be destroyed city of Nineveh, we can all learn a lesson on God's character and his promises. Many in this ancient kingdom had probably heard of Jonah's message and how God turned His wrath away from destroying Nineveh a hundred years earlier. Some may have thought after hearing Nahum, "God had mercy when Jonah prophesied our doom, so we shouldn't have to worry about judgment now!" However, Nahum's message is one of a very patient God who will ultimately display His great power against sin after much forbearance.

America has experienced several reprieves from God after various spiritual awakenings in the past. But like Nineveh, a day is soon coming when many will be surprised that God's patience is expended and there is no more mercy. The whirlwind and the storm will come against us for our "arrogance and careless ease" (Ezekiel 16:49). May the Lord, on that day, be justified regarding those of us who have disregarded the great gift of repentance He has offered through His Son's sacrifice. However, even in judgment, may He still have mercy on those who would cry out to Him.

Prosperity Through Adversity

Mark 10:29-30 - "Jesus said, “Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms, for My sake and for the gospel’s sake, but that he will receive a hundred times as much now in the present age, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms, along with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life."

If we know Christ, we should desire to "receive a hundred times as much now in the present age." This is our material point of reference. While we hear about the wonderful "sweet by and by," none of us really know what heaven's reality will look like on this side of eternity. However, our prayer should be for a revelation of the eternal because that is what gives us resolve here in the temporal.

God's blessings are confirmed to His children often through fiery trials that test our resolve. We all want the Lord's prosperity, but this often goes hand in hand with adversity. If we seek only to hoard relationships and possessions for ourselves, then our increase will be negligible. However, when we give these back to the Lord for His kingdom, then we will see the hundred-fold increase. If we want the Lord's prosperity, then we must decrease in our pursuits and allow Him to multiply His will within us, even if this means through the veil of adversity and trial.

Sea of Forgetfulness

Micah 7:19 - "He will again have compassion on us; He will tread our iniquities under foot. Yes, You will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea."

God will always help us understand His great intent with symbolism we can understand. His metaphor is meant to give us hope and solace regarding His love for us. The prophet tells us through the Holy Spirit (and His analogy) that it is not enough to merely throw our sins into the lowest parts of the ocean. God demonstrates His great love toward us by first pulverizing our sin under His feet. The picture is one of complete dominion over sin and a thorough crushing until they are lifeless and impotent. Then, he takes this mangled mess of iniquity and buries it deep in the sea of forgetfulness.

It is quite tragic when we take our spiritual trawlers to the site of our submerged iniquities, seeking to salvage them from the depths of the sea. God has placed buoys about the place of our water burial with "No Trespassing" signs clearly marked. Just remember, God has buried our past and desires we leave it buried. We are free to sail through life without a care or bother regarding who we used to be. We are certainly new creatures in Him if we have accepted His great gift (II Corinthians 5:17).

Expectancy With Love

Micah 7:7- "But as for me, I will watch expectantly for the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me."

There is no substitute for expectancy in regard to hope. Without expecting God to move on our behalf is like removing all power within faith. The essence of faith will always see those things that are unseen as yet-to-be revealed substance (Hebrews 11:1). Therefore, waiting in faith becomes a labor of love rather than an impatient exercise full of fear and anxiety.

Surety of God and His promises in our lives starts with understanding God's character. Scripture tells us God is love (I John 4:8). How much do we really believe this? I would venture to say to the degree we understand God's great love for us will be the degree we rest and wait expectantly for His promises to be fulfilled. Whether it be unsaved loved ones or finances or relationships, God's promise is never to leave us or forsake us in our need (Hebrews 13:5). We must continue to rest on the Everlasting Arms until He fulfills every promise He has spoken to our respective hearts.