Jesus telling us here ..he was speaking to us 200 years ago to this future this moment also.......................................................Jesus Warning to Watch - Just What Did He Mean................................. ........................................................................................................................................The apostle Paul wrote to the Christians in Corinth, Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong (1 Corinthians:16:13). The rest of the verse is clear, but what does watch mean? Paul wasnt telling us to be passive spectators—of entertainment or anything else. He meant something far different.......................................................... Watch means to stay wide awake When the New Testament commands us to watch, it is usually the translation of one of two Greek words ( gregoreuo and agrupneo ), which have similar meanings—to stay awake and to be sleepless. They are usually meant in the metaphorical and spiritual sense—to be vigilant and on guard, fully awake, aware, alert and intently focused—with several applications and implications. In Matthew:26:37-40 , the meaning of watch is primarily physical. Jesus was chiding the disciples for not remaining awake during the hour preceding His arrest. But what Jesus next said to Peter had a deeper, spiritual meaning: Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing [i.e., intentions are good], but the flesh [mere human willpower] is weak (Matthew:26:41). It is spiritual watching coupled with prayer that gives one the strength to survive temptations and difficult situations. Awake to righteousness, and do not sin (1 Corinthians:15:34). Being awake is equated with righteousness and not sinning. Paul was writing to the church at Corinth, which shows that even true Christians can be spiritually asleep to varying degrees. Paul also wrote: And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed (Romans:13:11, emphasis added throughout). In other words, the closer we draw to the second coming of Christ, the more urgent it is that we awake out of spiritual sleep! Indeed, we have entered the fearful end-time years that are the grand climax of human civilization. If ever there was a time to pay attention and get prepared, it is now! Furthermore, none of us knows when he or she will die. Being spiritually prepared for the end of life should be our top priority..................................... Watching means properly using our minds God gave us marvelous minds to use —to study, learn, observe, analyze, judge and think. It is quite significant that Gods true religion is based on spoken and written messages that were compiled into what we call the Bible. Gods people are to be people of the Book. In contrast, most pagan religions emphasize images, idols, symbols and rituals. You see, God wants His people to zealously read and study, to think and meditate. He wants us to be well-informed regarding the major geopolitical, cultural and spiritual issues and events of our time. God deplores ignorance, indifference and being dull of hearing (Hebrews:5:11). This is where the Bible comes in, providing the essential framework for a godly worldview. The Bible is Gods divine revelation of absolute truth, which is just as relevant today as it ever was. Because of this, the Bible should be the prism, lens and filter by which we can accurately perceive and judge all other information. It enables us to develop a godly worldview—the framework and foundation by which we can accurately interpret all that is going on in the world. We can then understand our confusing world scene with amazing clarity, sense and logic! Jesus rebuked the Pharisees and Sadducees for their hard-hearted mind-set. If they had not had evil attitudes and had believed the Scriptures, they would have been able to discern the signs of the times and to realize the Messiah had come (Matthew:16:1-3
Posted on: Mon, 30 Jun 2014 22:09:11 +0000
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