WAKE UP!

Very confidently we drive the car after a sleepless night.  Just a wink and a nod and crash! The accident almost kills us.  We can't afford this wink in spiritual life.  We need to be awake - All the time!

The Bible warns us repeatedly to be sober and careful because even though we may be bubbly in spirit, we are prone to buckle in the body. Why? Because the spirit is ever ready and willing but our body is unable to cooperate as it is not as strong as the spirit. "Watch….the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak" (Mt 26:41). We need therefore to take every effort to be alert so that we will not fall prey to the devil who goes around roaring like a lion looking for people whose eyes are half closed that he may pull them down and swallow them up.

1.Alert in Daily Life

God had promised David, "If your descendants watch how they live, and if they walk faithfully before Me with all their heart and soul, you will never fail to have a successor on the throne of Israel"

(1 Ki 2:4). David passed on this information to Solomon. However, Solomon, though very good, was not watchful enough. This happens to all of us. "Hezekiah did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father David had done" (2 Ki 18:3). So much so God miraculously delivered Jerusalem from Sennacherib. But pride sneaked into his spirit subtly. His sickness struck a cord in his spirit and he confessed, "I will walk humbly all my years" (Isa 38 : 15). But when envoys from Babylon came to enquire about his illness and recovery, Hezekiah showed them "everything." He didn’t think much about it but God saw that his action was tinged with pride and pronounced a punishment (39:1-8). "In those days Hezekiah became sick and was at the point of death, and he prayed to the LORD, and he answered him and gave him a sign. But Hezekiah did not respond according to the benefit done to him, for his heart was proud. Therefore wrath came upon him and Judah and Jerusalem. But Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart…"(2 Chr 32:24-26). See how easily the highly spiritual can slip! Pride is a universal sin that shows up before we know it. How our ears cock up when somebody praises us! How we take pleasure in boasting about our accomplishments like Haman! (Esth 5:10-12). Today let us decide not to talk about us but to speak good things about others. Watch out for pride.

 

  1. Not just pride, we should be on the guard for every sin. "I will watch my ways and keep my tongue from sin," says David (Psa 39:1). Yes, we need to muzzle our mouth, a place where we frequently fail. If Zechariah had not been sceptical to Gabriel, he would not have lost his voice (Lk 1:18).
  2. Jesus has warned us, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions" (Lk 12:15). Covetousness makes you unhappy with what you have. There is a lot of difference between the early church believers and today’s believer. Most believers are made to believe that the more they have the more God has blessed them. So they clamber to collect possessions. Their love for money overrides everything else. Let us all pray the prayer of Agur every day and avoid extravaganza (Pro 30:8,9). Let us pray for the "enough" spirit (I Tim 6:6). Learn self-control in an age of excess. Adopt modest habits. Mother Theresa was "as simple a person as could be" remembers sister Clare. She mended her own clothes and darned her socks. John the Baptist was a prophet yet simple. Jesus called him the greatest. "When we learn to hold the world with a loose grip, we are learning to take hold of the world to come with a firm grip," said Sinclair Fergusan. So let not your key bunch become bigger and bigger.
  3. "So watch yourselves. If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them" (Lk 17:3). Watch out to do it even seven times a day. How many of us take the courage to rebuke our children, spouse, parents, friends when they sin against us? We just watch them go down the gutter. Take courage. This is one area where we wash our hands off the fate of our loved ones. If they feel sorry, embrace them. All of us should be bold enough to rebuke and humble enough to accept rebuke. That’s the way to walk the highway of holiness.
  4. "If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other" (Gal 5:15). You don’t need to walk far in search of this sin. May be it is inside your family, neighbourhood, church or office. Why can’t we just give up, trusting the Lord and avoid court room battles? It is in the context of giving up that Jesus said, "Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom" (Lk 12:32). When we get to heaven we’ll be ashamed of our bickering over nothing. Maintain peace at any cost. "Now that we have learned to fly in the air like birds and dive in the sea like fish, only one thing remains – to learn to live on earth like humans," said George Bernard Shaw. How true!
  5. "Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted" (Gal 6:1). We read so often in the news of people drowning while trying to save a drowning person. The devil is cunning. He tempts restorers who are on the job. Numerous counselors trying to restore someone have fallen in sin because they were not watchful. We are swimming against a current of temptations. The Spirit will keep on warning you. Heed His warnings and save yourself.
  6. "Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers" (1 Tim 4:16). Life and teaching should go together. Watching ‘closely’ is important. Never say, "Oh, it is a small matter, it is a slip." Small pits in the path can tumble you down. Nip any dangerous thing in the bud. Ground yourself in the Word of God. So many so called ‘teachings’ are bogus and a mockery of God. Look before you leap. Don’t fall for any of the exciting teachings that are making their rounds these days. Those who are not grounded in balanced doctrinal teachings are sure to be swept away by these novelties. Many jump into it just to see what it is and drown in it. "Only a fool tests the depth of the water with both feet," says an African proverb. Stay away from it all. Having no checks and balances with the rest of God’s people, and no accountability to other men of God outside our own little circle is dangerous.
  7. "Above all else guard your heart for everything you do flows from it" (Prov 4:23). I talked to someone about the misunderstanding he was having with another brother. The first sentence he defensively said was, "Oh, we are ok. Nothing is wrong with us." But when I cornered him, he came out with the truth. What does this show? This shows that we have learnt to speak lies to ourselves without a twinge of guilt and cheat ourselves. Rightly did John write, "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us" (1 John1:8). We can bluff to ourselves, rationalize, make excuses or deny. Then we are cheating ourselves. The way to guard your heart is to learn to speak the truth to yourself. Honesty is speaking the truth to others; integrity is speaking the truth to yourself. When something goes wrong you’ve got one problem .When you try to cover it up you’ve got two. If the truth is unearthed you are in soup. Admit your faults openly and encourage your associates to do so.
  8. "What does the one God seek? Godly offspring. So be on your guard, and do not be unfaithful to the wife of your youth" (Mal 2:15). Our culture is changing and increasingly hostile to the family. Unless we show utmost watchfulness without batting an eye, we will be slaughtered in this area. God seeks godly offspring – "So"… Unfaithfulness destroys your life and children. Husband and wife must hold on to one another faithfully against all odds to guard their brood and not let satan enter their fort. If you are not faithful to each other, how can you bring up godly children? Consider family sacrosanct. "When we are tempted to think it is hard to deny ourselves and to crucify fleshly lusts, we ought to consider how much harder it will be to lie forever in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone," says Bible Exponent Matthew Henry. If you think you cannot overcome this temptation, then prostrate yourself before God and weep. Deliverance is sure to come.
  9. "Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy" (Lk 12:1). Hypocrisy is acting or cheating or showing ourselves to be somebody who we are not. We try to cover up our inner moral decay by outward grandeur. Basic honesty is lacking here. Let us not be charlatans trying to hide our true self from people. Let us learn to be open and honest. We have our failures, so what? Why try to hide our sicknesses for fear people will mock our faith? That is dishonesty. We are all fallible human beings and that’s an open secret.
  10. Faith is vulnerable and prone to break down. That’s why Jesus prayed for Peter’s faith. We must stand firm in all situations of life, holding tight to our most precious faith with watchfulness. If a stalwart like Peter could be sifted like wheat by satan and his faith faced the danger of failing, and needed the prayer of Jesus to preserve his faith, imagine the dangers our faith could face! That’s why Paul warned, "Watch, stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong" (1 Cor 16:13). Life is a faith battle from A to Z. Fight the good fight of faith (1 Tim 6:12).
  11. Watch over your family. Your family is your treasure. Many thieves will try to break through and steal away your children, peace, testimony and all the precious things you hold dear. "She watches over the ways of her household" (Prov 31:27). Yes, she is busy, no doubt, but she is alert where her child goes to tuition or the guests she entertains at home or the relatives who come to stay and an umpteen number of household affairs. She has an eye on everything.

2.Alert to hear God’s Voice

There are many avenues through which God’s voice rings in our ears, and one is through our parents’ commands and laws. "When you walk, they will guide you; when you sleep, they will watch over you; when you awake, they will speak to you" (Prov 6:20-22). You need to be awake and alert to hear God speak to you. Many times Jesus shouted "Attention" before speaking important truths, using words like, "Verily, verily….He who has ears, let him hear…Beware….etc,. "I slept but my heart was awake," says the Shulamite (Ss 5:2). Though we immerse ourselves in our daily duties, our hearts need to be awake to hear God’s voice any moment. Joseph slept but his heart was awake to receive God’s message (Mt 1:20). The magi were alert to detect "His star" and came to worship Jesus.

"Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live" (Dt 4:9). For Moses and the Israelites it was seeing; but for us it is reading. Let what we read in the Bible be ringing in our hearts through the day. "Watch yourselves carefully" (v15). "To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams" (1 Sam 15:22).

"Blessed are those who listen to Me, watching daily at My doors, waiting at My doorway" (Prov 8:34). When you open the Bible you are knocking at God’s door. Knock, watch and wait. The door will open and He will invite you in to sit at His feet to learn. He teaches those who are eagerly waiting to learn. "I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts; I will look to see what He will say to me" (Hab 2:1). Yes, unless you are alert to God’s voice, it will drown in the din of the world. So many voices compete for our attention. But the sensitive ear will hear the cock crow amidst the ruckus of soldiers. "Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life" (Prov 4:13).

"Keep My commands and live, and My law as the apple of your eye. Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart" (Prov 7:2,3). The apple of our eye must be guarded by the eyelids. Or else they will be injured and lost. So, the Word must be protected. They must be bound to us lest they fly away. They must be engraved on our hearts for ready reference. Very few take the pains to write down their meditation. No wonder the birds swoop down and feast on them (Mt 13:4). Most Christians read a passage every day and are satisfied. That is not going to take you through the Christian journey. You must take pains, spend time, meditate, write down and absorb the truths so that you can put them to practice. "He who heeds the word wisely will find good" (Prov16:20).

Say goodbye to casual reading of the Bible and seriously immerse yourself in studying it if you are interested in hearing the voice of the Spirit. "The Holy Spirit does not want to be a resident in your life; He wants to be the President of your life" says Dr. David Jeremiah. "Moved by the Spirit" Simeon came to the temple (Lk 2:27).

3.Alertness in God’s Work

Listen to Jacob narrating his shepherding: "I have been with you for twenty years now. Your sheep and goats have not miscarried, nor have I eaten rams from your flocks, I did not bring you animals torn by wild beast; I bore the loss myself. And you demanded payment from me for whatever was stolen by day or night. This was my situation. The heat consumed me in the day time and the cold at night, and sleep fled from my eyes" (Gen 31:38-40). That is watchfulness. He spent from his own pocket and was alert day and night. This is how God watches over us and that is why He is called a Shepherd (Jer 31:10).

"And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night" (Lk 2:8). Note, they were ‘living’ out in the fields. They were keeping ‘watch.’ This speaks about their sacrifice and alertness. Small wonder God sent His angels to them. Remember how David killed a lion and bear to protect his sheep, putting his life on the line? Ministry means sacrifice and watchfulness. Each soul must be precious to us and safeguarded.

When it comes to God’s work, Paul cautions us to watch over two things a) Ourselves b) Our flock. "Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which He bought with His own blood. I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own numbers men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears" (Acts 20:28-31).

Shepherds are prone for attacks from the enemy. "Woe to you shepherds of Israel who only take care of yourselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flocks? ….You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them harshly and brutally …"(Ezek 34:1-4). If you read the entire chapter you will know how to take care of yourselves and the flock. Temptations for "dishonest gain," to "lord over them" and to be bad "examples to the flock" are real. Be alert like Paul who says, that he coveted not anybody’s silver or gold or clothing and how he was an example to them (Acts 20:33-35). Space will not permit me to write more, though thoughts tumble through my head. There are no brief answers to big questions. Keep watch over your flock because you must give account (Heb 13:17). "Watch out that you do not lose what we have worked for" (2 Jn 8).

4.Alertness about Satan

"Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour… sufferings" (1 Pet 5:8,9). The devil has a bagful of tricks to interest those who are suffering. So "resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings." Suffering makes us vulnerable. It confuses our faith and fills our hearts with doubts. Pain is a reality. But don’t get hoodwinked by the devil in your weakness. Though we lament like Job, we can hang on to our faith like him. Bad times make our spine strong. Sometimes the greatest things in the world are born out of suffering and beautiful things arise from struggles.

Jesus’ bold and straight forward teachings ruffled many feathers. "The Pharisees and the teachers of the law were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched Him closely to see if He would heal on the Sabbath" (Lk 6:7; 14:1; 20:20). As much as we are alert, our enemies are also alert. That’s why Jesus said, "Beware of men" (Mt 10:17). Paul also so warns us: "Alexander the metalworker did me a great deal of harm. The Lord will repay him for what he has done. You too should be on your guard against him, because he strongly opposed our message" (2 Tim 4:14,15).

More and more opposers are rising against the message of the cross. Should we then shut our mouths and fold our hands? Never! We must go ahead with our message but be watchful. Jesus has promised to stand by us till the end of the age. So we must go on proclaiming till the end of the age.

5.Alert for the Second Coming

"Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time will come" (Mk 13:33). How alert we are if we are told in the TV that robbers are around our town! How much more should we be if Jesus has said He would come like a thief, suddenly. "Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back – whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. If He comes suddenly, do not let Him find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’" (vv 35-37).

Speaking about His Second Coming Jesus said, "Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, I am the Messiah, and will deceive many" (Mt 24:4). We are very close to these days. It will come like the deluge on Noah’s generation and the raining of fire and sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah. There will be no time to get ready. "Until" the flood came, they knew nothing (Mat 24:39). They knew after the floods came, but then it was too late. Let us not be like the sons-in-law of Lot, thinking it all a big joke, taking matters lightly. The bad news is, time flies. The good news is, you are the pilot.

"Therefore keep watch…if the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch…so also you must be ready"(vv 42-44). Do we need more sirens? "Who then is the faithful and wise servant?... It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when He returns" (vv 45,46). Let us be faithfully doing our work till the sky bursts forth in clouds of glory with our King coming. "So be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time" (Mk 13:23). He has blown the whistle. Do we have an excuse to give if we are unprepared? "Therefore let us not sleep as others do, but let us watch and be sober" (I Thess 5:6). Let us not be like the foolish virgins who woke up right on time but had no time to get ready. Jesus gives us the final warning in the Book of Revelations: "Look, I come like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake and remains clothed so as not to go naked and be shamefully exposed" (Rev 16:15). Stay blessed!

6.Alert about False Prophets

"Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruits you will recognize them" (Mt 7:15,16). Ministers of God are as soft and gentle as the sheep when they come incognito. We are enamored of them because we do not see the chinks in their armour. How to find out they are sheep or wolves? We cannot judge immediately because we don’t see their fruits as such. Wait. Be good to them with a question mark drawn large in your heart. Observe their life, observe their teachings, observe everything about them. Till then wait without commitment. Trusting them without verifying leads to grave consequences.

  1. "Watch out" for people who choose to dress to make a show of their piety (Mk 12:38).
  2. "Watch out" for those who look for greetings from people in public that will boost their image in the eyes of onlookers (Mk 12:38).
  3. "Watch out" for those who get upset if they are not recognized, garlanded, given the VIP seat or even led to the stage (Mk 12:38).
  4. "Watch out" for those who exploit the weak and helpless (Mk 12:38).
  5. "Watch out" for those who cause divisions by teaching contrary to what you have learned. By their pious sweet talk they dupe unsuspecting innocents (Rom 16:17).
  6. "Watch out" for those whose teaching is centred around the Old Testament and not around the New Testament teaching of grace (Phil 3:2).
  7. "Guard" what has been committed to your care. Today so-called experts talk so-called high staff and hyper stuff leading people away from faith. Hold on to scriptural teaching and save your faith. (I Tim 6:20).
  8. "Be on your guard" so that you won’t be carried away by the error of wicked men, lose your footing and get swept off your secure position. Study more about the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. That will put you on firm ground (2 Peter 3:17,18). These are the bad trees producing bad fruits (Mt 7:15-17).

Midnight has fallen on this world. We are engulfed in gloom and darkness. Bur we hear a distant sound, "Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet Him." Arise from your slumber. Trim your lamps and pour oil. Get ready to meet the Bridegroom!

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WAKE UP!

Very confidently we drive the car after a sleepless night.  Just a wink and a nod and crash! The accident almost kills us.  We can't afford this wink in spiritual life.  We need to be awake - All the time!

The Bible warns us repeatedly to be sober and careful because even though we may be bubbly in spirit, we are prone to buckle in the body. Why? Because the spirit is ever ready and willing but our body is unable to cooperate as it is not as strong as the spirit. "Watch….the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak" (Mt 26:41). We need therefore to take every effort to be alert so that we will not fall prey to the devil who goes around roaring like a lion looking for people whose eyes are half closed that he may pull them down and swallow them up.

1.Alert in Daily Life

God had promised David, "If your descendants watch how they live, and if they walk faithfully before Me with all their heart and soul, you will never fail to have a successor on the throne of Israel"

(1 Ki 2:4). David passed on this information to Solomon. However, Solomon, though very good, was not watchful enough. This happens to all of us. "Hezekiah did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father David had done" (2 Ki 18:3). So much so God miraculously delivered Jerusalem from Sennacherib. But pride sneaked into his spirit subtly. His sickness struck a cord in his spirit and he confessed, "I will walk humbly all my years" (Isa 38 : 15). But when envoys from Babylon came to enquire about his illness and recovery, Hezekiah showed them "everything." He didn’t think much about it but God saw that his action was tinged with pride and pronounced a punishment (39:1-8). "In those days Hezekiah became sick and was at the point of death, and he prayed to the LORD, and he answered him and gave him a sign. But Hezekiah did not respond according to the benefit done to him, for his heart was proud. Therefore wrath came upon him and Judah and Jerusalem. But Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart…"(2 Chr 32:24-26). See how easily the highly spiritual can slip! Pride is a universal sin that shows up before we know it. How our ears cock up when somebody praises us! How we take pleasure in boasting about our accomplishments like Haman! (Esth 5:10-12). Today let us decide not to talk about us but to speak good things about others. Watch out for pride.

 

  1. Not just pride, we should be on the guard for every sin. "I will watch my ways and keep my tongue from sin," says David (Psa 39:1). Yes, we need to muzzle our mouth, a place where we frequently fail. If Zechariah had not been sceptical to Gabriel, he would not have lost his voice (Lk 1:18).
  2. Jesus has warned us, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions" (Lk 12:15). Covetousness makes you unhappy with what you have. There is a lot of difference between the early church believers and today’s believer. Most believers are made to believe that the more they have the more God has blessed them. So they clamber to collect possessions. Their love for money overrides everything else. Let us all pray the prayer of Agur every day and avoid extravaganza (Pro 30:8,9). Let us pray for the "enough" spirit (I Tim 6:6). Learn self-control in an age of excess. Adopt modest habits. Mother Theresa was "as simple a person as could be" remembers sister Clare. She mended her own clothes and darned her socks. John the Baptist was a prophet yet simple. Jesus called him the greatest. "When we learn to hold the world with a loose grip, we are learning to take hold of the world to come with a firm grip," said Sinclair Fergusan. So let not your key bunch become bigger and bigger.
  3. "So watch yourselves. If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them" (Lk 17:3). Watch out to do it even seven times a day. How many of us take the courage to rebuke our children, spouse, parents, friends when they sin against us? We just watch them go down the gutter. Take courage. This is one area where we wash our hands off the fate of our loved ones. If they feel sorry, embrace them. All of us should be bold enough to rebuke and humble enough to accept rebuke. That’s the way to walk the highway of holiness.
  4. "If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other" (Gal 5:15). You don’t need to walk far in search of this sin. May be it is inside your family, neighbourhood, church or office. Why can’t we just give up, trusting the Lord and avoid court room battles? It is in the context of giving up that Jesus said, "Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom" (Lk 12:32). When we get to heaven we’ll be ashamed of our bickering over nothing. Maintain peace at any cost. "Now that we have learned to fly in the air like birds and dive in the sea like fish, only one thing remains – to learn to live on earth like humans," said George Bernard Shaw. How true!
  5. "Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted" (Gal 6:1). We read so often in the news of people drowning while trying to save a drowning person. The devil is cunning. He tempts restorers who are on the job. Numerous counselors trying to restore someone have fallen in sin because they were not watchful. We are swimming against a current of temptations. The Spirit will keep on warning you. Heed His warnings and save yourself.
  6. "Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers" (1 Tim 4:16). Life and teaching should go together. Watching ‘closely’ is important. Never say, "Oh, it is a small matter, it is a slip." Small pits in the path can tumble you down. Nip any dangerous thing in the bud. Ground yourself in the Word of God. So many so called ‘teachings’ are bogus and a mockery of God. Look before you leap. Don’t fall for any of the exciting teachings that are making their rounds these days. Those who are not grounded in balanced doctrinal teachings are sure to be swept away by these novelties. Many jump into it just to see what it is and drown in it. "Only a fool tests the depth of the water with both feet," says an African proverb. Stay away from it all. Having no checks and balances with the rest of God’s people, and no accountability to other men of God outside our own little circle is dangerous.
  7. "Above all else guard your heart for everything you do flows from it" (Prov 4:23). I talked to someone about the misunderstanding he was having with another brother. The first sentence he defensively said was, "Oh, we are ok. Nothing is wrong with us." But when I cornered him, he came out with the truth. What does this show? This shows that we have learnt to speak lies to ourselves without a twinge of guilt and cheat ourselves. Rightly did John write, "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us" (1 John1:8). We can bluff to ourselves, rationalize, make excuses or deny. Then we are cheating ourselves. The way to guard your heart is to learn to speak the truth to yourself. Honesty is speaking the truth to others; integrity is speaking the truth to yourself. When something goes wrong you’ve got one problem .When you try to cover it up you’ve got two. If the truth is unearthed you are in soup. Admit your faults openly and encourage your associates to do so.
  8. "What does the one God seek? Godly offspring. So be on your guard, and do not be unfaithful to the wife of your youth" (Mal 2:15). Our culture is changing and increasingly hostile to the family. Unless we show utmost watchfulness without batting an eye, we will be slaughtered in this area. God seeks godly offspring – "So"… Unfaithfulness destroys your life and children. Husband and wife must hold on to one another faithfully against all odds to guard their brood and not let satan enter their fort. If you are not faithful to each other, how can you bring up godly children? Consider family sacrosanct. "When we are tempted to think it is hard to deny ourselves and to crucify fleshly lusts, we ought to consider how much harder it will be to lie forever in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone," says Bible Exponent Matthew Henry. If you think you cannot overcome this temptation, then prostrate yourself before God and weep. Deliverance is sure to come.
  9. "Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy" (Lk 12:1). Hypocrisy is acting or cheating or showing ourselves to be somebody who we are not. We try to cover up our inner moral decay by outward grandeur. Basic honesty is lacking here. Let us not be charlatans trying to hide our true self from people. Let us learn to be open and honest. We have our failures, so what? Why try to hide our sicknesses for fear people will mock our faith? That is dishonesty. We are all fallible human beings and that’s an open secret.
  10. Faith is vulnerable and prone to break down. That’s why Jesus prayed for Peter’s faith. We must stand firm in all situations of life, holding tight to our most precious faith with watchfulness. If a stalwart like Peter could be sifted like wheat by satan and his faith faced the danger of failing, and needed the prayer of Jesus to preserve his faith, imagine the dangers our faith could face! That’s why Paul warned, "Watch, stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong" (1 Cor 16:13). Life is a faith battle from A to Z. Fight the good fight of faith (1 Tim 6:12).
  11. Watch over your family. Your family is your treasure. Many thieves will try to break through and steal away your children, peace, testimony and all the precious things you hold dear. "She watches over the ways of her household" (Prov 31:27). Yes, she is busy, no doubt, but she is alert where her child goes to tuition or the guests she entertains at home or the relatives who come to stay and an umpteen number of household affairs. She has an eye on everything.

2.Alert to hear God’s Voice

There are many avenues through which God’s voice rings in our ears, and one is through our parents’ commands and laws. "When you walk, they will guide you; when you sleep, they will watch over you; when you awake, they will speak to you" (Prov 6:20-22). You need to be awake and alert to hear God speak to you. Many times Jesus shouted "Attention" before speaking important truths, using words like, "Verily, verily….He who has ears, let him hear…Beware….etc,. "I slept but my heart was awake," says the Shulamite (Ss 5:2). Though we immerse ourselves in our daily duties, our hearts need to be awake to hear God’s voice any moment. Joseph slept but his heart was awake to receive God’s message (Mt 1:20). The magi were alert to detect "His star" and came to worship Jesus.

"Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live" (Dt 4:9). For Moses and the Israelites it was seeing; but for us it is reading. Let what we read in the Bible be ringing in our hearts through the day. "Watch yourselves carefully" (v15). "To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams" (1 Sam 15:22).

"Blessed are those who listen to Me, watching daily at My doors, waiting at My doorway" (Prov 8:34). When you open the Bible you are knocking at God’s door. Knock, watch and wait. The door will open and He will invite you in to sit at His feet to learn. He teaches those who are eagerly waiting to learn. "I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts; I will look to see what He will say to me" (Hab 2:1). Yes, unless you are alert to God’s voice, it will drown in the din of the world. So many voices compete for our attention. But the sensitive ear will hear the cock crow amidst the ruckus of soldiers. "Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life" (Prov 4:13).

"Keep My commands and live, and My law as the apple of your eye. Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart" (Prov 7:2,3). The apple of our eye must be guarded by the eyelids. Or else they will be injured and lost. So, the Word must be protected. They must be bound to us lest they fly away. They must be engraved on our hearts for ready reference. Very few take the pains to write down their meditation. No wonder the birds swoop down and feast on them (Mt 13:4). Most Christians read a passage every day and are satisfied. That is not going to take you through the Christian journey. You must take pains, spend time, meditate, write down and absorb the truths so that you can put them to practice. "He who heeds the word wisely will find good" (Prov16:20).

Say goodbye to casual reading of the Bible and seriously immerse yourself in studying it if you are interested in hearing the voice of the Spirit. "The Holy Spirit does not want to be a resident in your life; He wants to be the President of your life" says Dr. David Jeremiah. "Moved by the Spirit" Simeon came to the temple (Lk 2:27).

3.Alertness in God’s Work

Listen to Jacob narrating his shepherding: "I have been with you for twenty years now. Your sheep and goats have not miscarried, nor have I eaten rams from your flocks, I did not bring you animals torn by wild beast; I bore the loss myself. And you demanded payment from me for whatever was stolen by day or night. This was my situation. The heat consumed me in the day time and the cold at night, and sleep fled from my eyes" (Gen 31:38-40). That is watchfulness. He spent from his own pocket and was alert day and night. This is how God watches over us and that is why He is called a Shepherd (Jer 31:10).

"And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night" (Lk 2:8). Note, they were ‘living’ out in the fields. They were keeping ‘watch.’ This speaks about their sacrifice and alertness. Small wonder God sent His angels to them. Remember how David killed a lion and bear to protect his sheep, putting his life on the line? Ministry means sacrifice and watchfulness. Each soul must be precious to us and safeguarded.

When it comes to God’s work, Paul cautions us to watch over two things a) Ourselves b) Our flock. "Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which He bought with His own blood. I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own numbers men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears" (Acts 20:28-31).

Shepherds are prone for attacks from the enemy. "Woe to you shepherds of Israel who only take care of yourselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flocks? ….You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them harshly and brutally …"(Ezek 34:1-4). If you read the entire chapter you will know how to take care of yourselves and the flock. Temptations for "dishonest gain," to "lord over them" and to be bad "examples to the flock" are real. Be alert like Paul who says, that he coveted not anybody’s silver or gold or clothing and how he was an example to them (Acts 20:33-35). Space will not permit me to write more, though thoughts tumble through my head. There are no brief answers to big questions. Keep watch over your flock because you must give account (Heb 13:17). "Watch out that you do not lose what we have worked for" (2 Jn 8).

4.Alertness about Satan

"Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour… sufferings" (1 Pet 5:8,9). The devil has a bagful of tricks to interest those who are suffering. So "resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings." Suffering makes us vulnerable. It confuses our faith and fills our hearts with doubts. Pain is a reality. But don’t get hoodwinked by the devil in your weakness. Though we lament like Job, we can hang on to our faith like him. Bad times make our spine strong. Sometimes the greatest things in the world are born out of suffering and beautiful things arise from struggles.

Jesus’ bold and straight forward teachings ruffled many feathers. "The Pharisees and the teachers of the law were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched Him closely to see if He would heal on the Sabbath" (Lk 6:7; 14:1; 20:20). As much as we are alert, our enemies are also alert. That’s why Jesus said, "Beware of men" (Mt 10:17). Paul also so warns us: "Alexander the metalworker did me a great deal of harm. The Lord will repay him for what he has done. You too should be on your guard against him, because he strongly opposed our message" (2 Tim 4:14,15).

More and more opposers are rising against the message of the cross. Should we then shut our mouths and fold our hands? Never! We must go ahead with our message but be watchful. Jesus has promised to stand by us till the end of the age. So we must go on proclaiming till the end of the age.

5.Alert for the Second Coming

"Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time will come" (Mk 13:33). How alert we are if we are told in the TV that robbers are around our town! How much more should we be if Jesus has said He would come like a thief, suddenly. "Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back – whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. If He comes suddenly, do not let Him find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’" (vv 35-37).

Speaking about His Second Coming Jesus said, "Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, I am the Messiah, and will deceive many" (Mt 24:4). We are very close to these days. It will come like the deluge on Noah’s generation and the raining of fire and sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah. There will be no time to get ready. "Until" the flood came, they knew nothing (Mat 24:39). They knew after the floods came, but then it was too late. Let us not be like the sons-in-law of Lot, thinking it all a big joke, taking matters lightly. The bad news is, time flies. The good news is, you are the pilot.

"Therefore keep watch…if the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch…so also you must be ready"(vv 42-44). Do we need more sirens? "Who then is the faithful and wise servant?... It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when He returns" (vv 45,46). Let us be faithfully doing our work till the sky bursts forth in clouds of glory with our King coming. "So be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time" (Mk 13:23). He has blown the whistle. Do we have an excuse to give if we are unprepared? "Therefore let us not sleep as others do, but let us watch and be sober" (I Thess 5:6). Let us not be like the foolish virgins who woke up right on time but had no time to get ready. Jesus gives us the final warning in the Book of Revelations: "Look, I come like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake and remains clothed so as not to go naked and be shamefully exposed" (Rev 16:15). Stay blessed!

6.Alert about False Prophets

"Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruits you will recognize them" (Mt 7:15,16). Ministers of God are as soft and gentle as the sheep when they come incognito. We are enamored of them because we do not see the chinks in their armour. How to find out they are sheep or wolves? We cannot judge immediately because we don’t see their fruits as such. Wait. Be good to them with a question mark drawn large in your heart. Observe their life, observe their teachings, observe everything about them. Till then wait without commitment. Trusting them without verifying leads to grave consequences.

  1. "Watch out" for people who choose to dress to make a show of their piety (Mk 12:38).
  2. "Watch out" for those who look for greetings from people in public that will boost their image in the eyes of onlookers (Mk 12:38).
  3. "Watch out" for those who get upset if they are not recognized, garlanded, given the VIP seat or even led to the stage (Mk 12:38).
  4. "Watch out" for those who exploit the weak and helpless (Mk 12:38).
  5. "Watch out" for those who cause divisions by teaching contrary to what you have learned. By their pious sweet talk they dupe unsuspecting innocents (Rom 16:17).
  6. "Watch out" for those whose teaching is centred around the Old Testament and not around the New Testament teaching of grace (Phil 3:2).
  7. "Guard" what has been committed to your care. Today so-called experts talk so-called high staff and hyper stuff leading people away from faith. Hold on to scriptural teaching and save your faith. (I Tim 6:20).
  8. "Be on your guard" so that you won’t be carried away by the error of wicked men, lose your footing and get swept off your secure position. Study more about the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. That will put you on firm ground (2 Peter 3:17,18). These are the bad trees producing bad fruits (Mt 7:15-17).

Midnight has fallen on this world. We are engulfed in gloom and darkness. Bur we hear a distant sound, "Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet Him." Arise from your slumber. Trim your lamps and pour oil. Get ready to meet the Bridegroom!

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