Watch and Pray

If what she's seeing is the Lord coming through the clouds, she better be ready to meet Him.

And He [Jesus] said to them, "It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven."
(Act 1:7-11)

One of the things that poses a big threat to our readiness to meet Him, is our tendency to procrastinate and to allow the things that life throws at us to take a higher priority than the things of God. We have often have the best of intentions, but unfortunately good intentions are powerless against poor prioritizing and procrastination. And to make matters worst, poor prioritizing and procrastination fly under our radar so that we frequently don't even detect their presence.

Take me for instance. :) I didn't even know until this morning that I apparently didn't post and distribute the daily blog yesterday. Do you know what that means? I not only didn't get to it, in spite of my good intentions, but I DIDN'T KNOW THAT I DIDN'T GET TO IT.

"Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins (back in Jesus' time 'virgins' was simply a to-the-point term used for 'women that hadn't been married yet') who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. "And at midnight a cry was heard: 'Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!' Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' 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.' And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. "Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us!' But he answered and said, 'Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.' "Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.
(Mat 25:1-13)

"But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. "Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing. Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods. But if that evil servant says in his heart, 'My master is delaying his coming,' and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
(Mat 24:36-51)

"Cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites"? I think maybe Jesus was trying to get our attention, and get us to take this whole thing of serving God seriously.

Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, "What! Could you not watch with Me one hour? Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."
(Mat 26:40-41)

Our intentions may be good, but our flesh is weak. We MUST WATCH (Be constantly on our toes) and PRAY (seek God's guidance and strength).

The Lord is counting on us to stay awake, and be on our guard against those things that would distract us from our mission. Please pray for me, and I'll be praying for you.

Yours in Him,
Pastor B.