Mark
13:5-6
Not everyone that
speaks the name of Christ really is a child of God… I was once told that Satan
spends his days in the church; not because he wants to be converted but because
he wants to pull others from their faith… Those in the world are not of God and
therefore Satan doesn’t have to worry about them… Understanding that Satan does
attend church keeps me informed that I must be on guard at all times and as
Paul tells the church of Ephesus “put on the full amour of God…” This
battle we face is indeed NOT in the flesh but in principalities and darkness in
high places… These high places can be in the pulpit, these high places can be
positions of leadership; whatever the case may be, I know that I must stay
alert and be vigilant at all times… Our focus verses today shine light on Jesus
telling us to take heed… Don’t for a second let your guard down; don’t for the
smallest window of time become complacent… The devil only needs a small window
of time to tear you down… Look at David when he became King, his small window
came in the form of Bathsheba; think about Sampson in all His might and how he
let his guard down to Delilah, think about Solomon who was the wisest man to
ever live but saw his kingdom divided and torn down before his very eyes, think
about Peter who vowed to follow Jesus at all cost, but before the cook crowed
he denied knowing the savior and left the courtyard weeping… This list can go
on and on and on and we need to take note today that we must open our eyes to
the will of God and not lean to our own understanding and comfort… Today’s
message reminds us of two very important things; one, we must be careful with
whom we associate ourselves with and second, we must study the word of God for
ourselves and apply it to our everyday life… Mark informs us today that many
people will come into our lives claiming to be of God, but the fruit that they
bare is totally different… Jesus says take heed, be slow to except people into
your inner circle (Jesus had 3 disciples that He was close too), but more
importantly pray about every situation that you encounter! The bible records
that the devil is a wolf in sheep’s clothing; he has the appearance of a loving
character but is scheming like a wolf trying to destroy any and everything
around him… We must be careful that we are not destroyed, many have fallen by
the wayside, many have been duped by the enemy and many have lost their focus
and become conformed to this world! Mark is telling us that we must pray and
pray without ceasing… Prayer is the key to changing situations; prayer is the
way to turn things around and to establish a sturdy foundation upon Christ our
savior! This country has gone astray not because of who has led us, but because
we have forgotten who founded us and how powerful prayer is… You in your life will
be destroyed if you don’t pray unto the only true and living God… Hosea 4:6
says that “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge…” Many people
are perishing because they don’t understand the traps they have fallen into…
They haven’t prepared for this battle and so they are being destroyed… Take up
your battle positions through prayer and regardless of how hard it gets
continue to pray… We are told in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 that we must “pray
without ceasing…” People don’t realize the avenue they are journeying down
nor do the see that the road is a dead end… Today we are reminded to chase
knowledge, go after wisdom; these are the keys to aligning yourself with God
and avoiding the snares of the enemy… In light of recent events... terrorists
attack, school shootings, etc. I think it started when Madeleine Murray
O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found a few years ago) complained she didn't
want prayer in our schools, and we said OK. Then someone said you better
not read the Bible in school. The Bible says thou shalt not kill; thou
shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said OK. Then
Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave
because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their
self-esteem (Dr Spock's son committed suicide). We said an expert should
know what he's talking about. Now we're asking ourselves why our children
have no conscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't
bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves. Probably, if
we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it
has a great deal to do with 'WE REAP WHAT WE SOW.' The bible tells us to
train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart
from it… The only way to train your child is in the will, love and grace of
God… This means you must study the word for yourself, you must know it for
yourself and you must stay on guard and don’t allow people to strip you of the
only way to truly live… Jesus says take heed because the broad way leads to
destructions… So be careful today, if everyone is doing, be careful today if it
goes against what God is telling you, be careful today because in if any door
is opened to evil it will be invaded and you will find yourself wondering how
you fell so quickly…
BE BLESSED!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment