This one ties in with what was posted yesterday (become ye ready).
MArk 13.33Take heed, watch and pray, for ye have not known when the time is; 34as a man who is gone abroad, having left his house, and given to his servants the authority, and to each one his work, did command also the porter that he may watch; 35watch ye, therefore, for ye have not known when the lord of the house doth come, at even, or at midnight, or at cock-crowing, or at the morning; 36lest, having come suddenly, he may find you sleeping; 37and what I say to you, I say to all, Watch.’
The number one issue the mid-trib, post-trib and pre-wrath folks fall on the sword on is this one right here. Watch...Tied in with this is Luke 21 which also tells us to watch always and pray. According to the 'other' tribulation theories, Words like Mark 13.33-36 are nonsense. According to their manmade doctrine there is no reason to watch always as our Lord (according to them) cannot come back before x,y,z happens.
The problem with those who tell you not to bother to watch for the Lord every day is by the time they find out they were wrong it will be too late. Or do they not take the Lord at His Word on any point, including what the Lord said over and over about this:
watch ye, therefore, for ye have not known when the lord of the house doth come, at even, or at midnight, or at cock-crowing, or at the morning; 36lest, having come suddenly, he may find you sleeping;
He is coming suddenly without advance notice. lest, having come suddenly, he may find you sleeping;
That means the Lord shows up and oops, it was sudden, a surprise and they have been teaching people for years it could not happen.
I have a question, who among men knows with 100% certainty that their understanding of the book of Revelation, the Words of the prophets, and everything about the rapture are absolutely positively 100% correct? I will tell you that there are many things I do not understand and still require the Lord's guidance. There are mysteries wrapped up in mysteries that leave me scratching my head.
So, when there are things in the Word that a. we do not have 100% certainty on and b. are very important, what do we do? Focus on the things we do have certainty on and ask the Lord for guidance on the rest.
What are we certain about? The Lord told us to watch. For what? We are certain we are to watch FOR HIM.
watch ye, therefore, for ye have not known when the lord of the house doth come
They are watching for the Lord ^^^.....
Again, there is no doctrine, and no wisdom and no superior argument that can in any way trump a continual, daily watching for the Lord. What is your obedience like if the Lord could return today? What is your walk with Him like if the Lord could return today? What petty sins will you do away with if the Lord could return today?
Remember, the Lord teaches continual watching for Him, this is not something brother D dreamed up. Does this teaching perfect holiness, faith and obedience? You bet it does. And where is the argument against that?
Remember Occam's razor:
The most useful statement of the principle for scientists is
"when you have two competing theories that make exactly the same predictions, the simpler one is the better.
How simple is it for us to live in faith and obedience because our Lord told us to watch for Him continually so we do it (because He told us to).
| Give us each day our daily bread |
We walk our walk with the Lord day by day. The truth is, I cannot think of a higher honor for any man or woman than this: after they leave this earth it can be said "they were a man or woman who walked with God."
If the Lord said to watch for Him, all the time, that is not something I am uncertain about. Because I am certain of what He meant I must do it....Why is this important at a time like this? The distractions and travail this world is going through will only get worse. With more distraction comes more temptation to take our eyes off of the one thing that matters:
Luke 21:34“Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap. 35For it will come on all those who live on the face of the whole earth. 36Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.”
What is this one thing that matters?
Luke 10. 41“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42but few things are needed—or indeed only one.f Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
Mary was sitting at the Lord's feet....
grace and peace
