Watch and Pray

It's been quite an emotionally tumultuous last couple of weeks.

The 100 Days of Prayer have ended, The General Conference session has passed, and I am still in the black on some things since I spend more time praying than watch the sessions.

I am constantly reminded of two words The LORD said to His disciples; "watch" and "pray". As we see many things unraveling before our very eyes, we must watch and pray like never before.

How do we watch?

God has blessed us with physical sight, but it is our spiritual sight that needs to be strengthened in these last days. I believe we can strengthen our spiritual eyesight by:

1) Studying The Word:   2 Timothy 2:15   Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 

2) Meditating On The Word: Psalms 77:12   I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings.   Psalms 119:15   I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways. 

3) Praying Always:  1 Timothy 2:8   I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.   1 Thessalonians 5:17   Pray without ceasing.

The LORD Christ Jesus was not a concealer. He was very transparent with His Followers about the future and how they should watch and pray. In Mark 13, The LORD repeats the importance of watching especially. It's crunch time; let's echo and meditate on these words of Jesus in the end of the chapter:


  Mark 13:33   Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.

  Mark 13:34   For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch.

  Mark 13:35   Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning:

  Mark 13:37   And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.

 

Where Did Summer Go?

I am a product of the Caribbean.

I was born in hot climate, I was raised in hot climate and my idea of a perfect day always involves heat and the sun.

It's almost September. That means summer is almost over. Now we all know that September is the best month of the year (*Ahem, Ahem), but even so, I am saddened to see summer go. It was a mild summer to put it lightly; I cannot recall a week where it was constantly in the 80's or 90's, but this is the age we are living in. The seasons are changing faster than before, our Summer temperatures seem a lot cooler than they have been in the past, our Winters are more brutal. Is this just coincidence? Or are these weather abnormalities signs of something else.

I am always reminded of what The LORD said when He spoke about the end of time. In Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21, the disciples asked Christ for the signs of last day events. We have been forewarned about wars and rumors of wars, earthquakes in divers places, pestilences, famines and other disasters. In 2 Timothy 3:1-5, Paul described the characteristics of the church and showed the deterioration of some of those who calls themselves 'christian' in the last days.

Why did I mention those scriptural references? I am certain our erratic weather patterns, the increase of violence and crime worldwide, and the disregard for God and family values are all linked. Christ said all of these would be the beginning of sorrows, and how sorrowful our world has been lately :-(. Alas, there is more chaos in store, BUT The LORD has promised protection, comfort, guidance even as the 'earth is removed and the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea'(Psalm 46:2). Even as we see all these things happening around us, let us not loose heart but cling even tighter to Jesus.