Posts
Date : 07/11/21
Theme: Watch,Pray and Wait.
Texts: Ruth 3:1-5, 4:13-17, Heb 9:24-28, Mark 12: 38-44
Jesus kept warning people to watch out for those Law Makers, Priests, Teachers of the Law and the Scribes who always sought praise from men and women and abused their privileges.In our days and time what do we see happening in the Christendom in relation to the attitude and character of leaders abusing their privileges in the name of the kingdom Business? There were some common phenomena that ran through their ministry that often created confrontations with, Jesus the Christ. They liked to go around in flowing robes with huge philactries on their shoulders, greeted in the market places with formal titles like :Master , Father and Rabbi . These things were done in order to be respected highly; and have the most important seats in the synagogues and all other social functions ; those reserved for dignitaries, situated in front of the chest containing the sacred scrolls of scripture facing the whole Congregation.Jesus again condemned the ostentatious conduct of , greed and hypocrisy.Instead of pointing people's attention to God they claimed it for themselves under the pretence of piety. Is it also happening among Christian Leaders and Christians today? Ruth was disadvantaged in every sphere because she was a widow and a foreigner but was fortunate to have been attached to a woman , Naomi who had a covenant with Jehovah, the Almighty God.
She obeyed every word her mother in law gave her and never in her life did anything or made any move without the consent of her new found mother. Her resolve to watch, pray and wait brought her to the genealogy of Jesus, the Saviour. In Jesus's discourse, though the religious leaders prayed but they did with very wrong motives, thus to impress people with their piety and gain their confidence.
HOW CAN YOU WATCH?
1.Be circumspect about your WAYS:Where do you go, where do spend your time? We should not in any way copy the bad example of the Scribes and the Priests in the passage. Point attention to God and not self.
2. Be mindful of your ATTITUDE:Your attitude towards your relationship with God, your attitude towards your neighbour, your gifting, your abilities as well as your zeal towards patriotism. In watching, our attitudes should be devoid of hypocrisy and greed. Your priority should be heavenly bound. Be mindful of your attitude toward titles, money and fame.
3. Knowing how to manage your TIME:
Time should be managed judiciously to enhance the well being the believer. The percentage of your time that goes into reading and studying the word of God should be pleasing to Him rather on your personal agrandisement. Percentage of the time that has been earmarked for prayer. Time for family issues and personal development rather than wasting it on worthless and trivial issues.
4. Focus on your CHARACTER:Our character as Christians who are waiting should be a life of integrity and modesty. Being modest in our demands and privileges. We should not manipulate those we lead but rather help them to overcome their challenges.
5. Managing your HABIT. Conscious efforts should be made to overhaul habits that have been cultivated from our childhood that has become idols in our lives. Divorce such habits to be able to focus on the parousia.
HOW SHOULD THE BELIEVER PRAY AS HE WAIT?
1. Establish a family altar where we go to commune daily with the Lord.
2. Consciously create the atmosphere where you continually communicate with God to prevent you from preoccupying yourself with things you can do to always be in the presence of God.
3. Learn to be alone with God.
4. Learn to leave all vengeance unto the Lord
5. Pray with the word of God in order not to be swayed away from the will of God.
6. Pray in the Spirit.
HOW DO YOU WAIT?
1. Research into the word of God to know what the Lord is saying in these end times.
2. Purpose in your heart to be a doer of the word and not just the hearers to deceive yourself
3. Make time to ponder over the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ and draw closer to Him.
4. Work on any negative attitude that draws you away from the things of God.
HOW CAN THE BELIEVER BE FOCUSED IN THESE END TIMES?
1. Work on your own salvation with fear and trembling.
2. Don't just follow the crowd but make sure you have weighed every action and its consequences before you embark on it.
3. Prayer and the word of God should be your food and water you continually feed on.
4. Allow God to order your steps to reduce your mistakes to be barest minimum.
5. Work on your habits, attitudes and character that severs your relationship with God and your fellow Christians.
ARE YOU WATCHING ENOUGH AS A CHRISTIAN?ARE YOU WELL AWAKE TO THE THINGS HAPPENING AROUND YOU AS WELL AS THEIR IMPLICATIONS ON YOU AS A CHRISTIAN?
ARE YOU PRAYING AS EXPECTED OF YOU?
ARE YOU CONFIDENT ENOUGH AS YOU WAIT?
ARE YOU JUST FOLLOWING THE CROWD? ARE YOU A MAN OR A WOMAN OF THE WORD?ARE YOU GETTING OBSESSED ABOUT THE THINGS OF THE WORLD? BE CAREFUL ABOUT THE THINGS YOU ARE DOING FOR THEY HAVE SERIOUS IMPLICATIONS OUR ON LIVES AS WE WAIT.WATCH, PRAY AND WAIT. SIT UP IN ORDER NOT BE CONDEMNED BY JESUS BECAUSE OF THE GREED, PRIDE AND FAKE PIETY AS IT HAPPENED TO THE JEWISH RELIGIOUS AUTHORITIES. DON'T EXPENSE YOUR ENERGY ON VAIN POPULARITY. BE MODEST AS FAR AS IT IS POSSIBLE. HYPOCRISY KILLS. KILL IT NOW!
God richly bless you!
SHALOM!
PRAYER TOPICS
1. Against carnage on our roads these days.
2. Against any natural disasters in your vicinity
3. For peace and stability in all Christian marriages
4. For the Youth to overcome their challenges of today.