Take Heed

Therefore say to them, thus says the Lord God: 'None of My words will be postponed any more, but the word which I speak will be done,' says the Lord God. Ezekiel 12:28

"Take heed, watch and pray;
for you do not know when the time is."  Mark 13:33

In the early eighties there was a fervor concerning the return of Jesus, especially in the Calvary Chapel movement.  The Biblical prophesies were lining up, we were doing some Bible math on generations, and boy it sure seemed Jesus had to come soon.  We read our Bibles along with the headlines and with humble amazement we wondered at the days we were privileged to live in, and set our gaze to heaven.

I'm not getting nostalgic thinking back to the good ole eighties.  I'm thinking that though it's been some thirty years, we ought to be more excited than ever about the Lord's return!  The prophesies we saw in the eighties are being fulfilled with even more clarity...one world government, one world economic system, cashless society, economic and political instability, the worldwide communication explosion, and so much more!  Of course the center piece of prophesy in our time is Israel, and you all know what's happening there even this week.

The day will come when God will say, 'None of My words will be postponed any more.'  Are you watching and praying?
   

Serve The Lord Alone

"They feared the Lord yet served their own gods, according to the rituals of the nations from among whom they were carried away." 2 Kings 17:33

There was a guy I worked with who I really enjoyed.  We were both married and had young children so we had a lot in common.  He had a great sense of humor and we had many a good laugh together.  He was a great guy but I knew by he wasn't a believer.  He knew where I stood with the Lord.  I would always look for opportunities to share Christ with him & pray for him.

One day during a long conversation, my chance came and I pounced.  I don't remember how we got around to it, but at a perfect moment I was able to ask him if he was a Christian.  His answer really took me off guard as he said, "of course I'm a Christian, I was born here in America."  I quickly tried to convince him that being born in America didn't make you a Christian, but he would have nothing of that.  He told me he owned a Bible, had visited a few churches, and loved Ronald Reagan, so of course he was a Christian.

I had a tough time trying to explain to my friend what it really meant to be a Christian because he sort of agreed with everything I said about the Gospel, he just didn't live it.  He thought God was cool and Jesus was cool and that made him a Christian. We ended our conversation with him stating that he was a Christian just not a fanatic like me.  I was so grieved by our conversation because it revealed that he feared the Lord but served his own gods.

If Jesus is your Lord, than He is your Lord.  You obey Him, serve Him, worship Him and live for Him.  There is no gray area or middle ground when it comes to Jesus being Lord of your life.  You can't confess Him and serve your own gods.  You can't live a double life, if He is Lord than commit to Him wholly.
   

Watching And Waiting

 "But the wise answered, saying No, lest there should not be enough for us and you;
but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves." Matthew 25:9

In His famous parable of the ten virgins, Jesus teaches the importance of watching and being ready for His return.  The five wise virgins were ready, they had oil for their lamps and were awake awaiting the arrival of the bridegroom.  The five foolish virgins had no oil for their lamps and they were sleeping instead of watching.

The lesson for us to apply is clear.  Oil in the scriptures is the symbol of the Holy Spirit, so when Jesus states that the wise virgins told the foolish to 'buy (oil) for yourselves' He is stating a sobering truth.  The oil of the Spirit is something you can't get from someone else.  You don't get the oil from just hanging out at church.  You can't get it from your parents or spouse or friends.  The oil of the Spirit comes from you having a living vibrant relationship with the Lord, constant in His word and in prayer watching and waiting, not being distracted or lazy.

Look around and take note of the things going on in the world, these are crazy days indeed.  Could it be that the Bridegroom is preparing to return?  This parable of the Lord ought to shake the soul. Do you have oil for your lamp?  Are you wide-awake and watching?