For those that love the Lord
John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
The Lord has given us commands, if you love the Lord keep those commands. Today we have people telling us we can ignore those commands. This thread is not for those who think we can tell others to ignore Jesus' commands.
Luke 21:36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.
These are the two commands in particular. The context of watch is the Lord's second coming. We are commanded to be watching for the signs, to know the prophecies, to be alert for what is coming. Instead many use the expression "no one knows the day or the hour" as though that absolves them of having to keep this command. If you were assigned to the defense of the nation to guard our air space from foreign airplanes and missiles I would not be very happy with you if your attitude was "hey, no one knows the day or the hour" as an excuse for not watching. Yes, we know that, that is why we have you on the wall watching. The second command is to pray always that you may be accounted worthy to escape. Today we have these teachers saying "once saved always saved" nullifying the Lord's command here. There is no need to pray always that you might be worthy to escape because if you were saved once then that is it, you have a lifetime pass to the amusement park.
Mark 13:33 Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is. 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. 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: 36 Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. 37 And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.
Who is the porter that is commanded to watch? Well Jesus was talking to the 12 apostles, so they are obviously the porter. But then He concludes "what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch". He commanded the 12 apostles to watch and then He said that same command applies to all believers.
1Corinthians 16:13 Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.
While we are watching we will see some scary things. We will see millions of coffins being readied, we will see guillotines being purchased, we will see 87,000 IRS agents being hired to use guns and deadly force, we will see sorcerers deceiving the whole world with a kill shot, and we will see war, famine, and plagues coming upon this earth. So we don't simply watch, we stand fast in the faith and we behave like men. Be strong. We are on a ship heading into a monstrous storm.
1Thessalonians 5:6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.
People who are not watching are either sleeping or are not sober. If you are drunk on the worldly wine you cannot watch. If you make a giant salary from Pfizer it is very hard to watch. On the other hand if you have been lulled to sleep with the world's lullabye, all the banal, useless media they blast constantly until you fall asleep, then you too can't watch.
Revelation 3:3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
What? Only those who are not watching are the ones who won't know what hour the Lord is coming? How can that be? Suppose I was going on a trip to Asia and you ask when will you return. I say I don't know the day or the hour, but I'll let you know. A few months later you get a message that I bought a ticket for a plane that arrives in two weeks. The New Testament is very clear on this. Two thousand years ago there was no prophecy that would tell us the day or the hour, however, if we are watching we will have a heads up prior to the Lord's coming.
John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
The Lord has given us commands, if you love the Lord keep those commands. Today we have people telling us we can ignore those commands. This thread is not for those who think we can tell others to ignore Jesus' commands.
Luke 21:36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.
These are the two commands in particular. The context of watch is the Lord's second coming. We are commanded to be watching for the signs, to know the prophecies, to be alert for what is coming. Instead many use the expression "no one knows the day or the hour" as though that absolves them of having to keep this command. If you were assigned to the defense of the nation to guard our air space from foreign airplanes and missiles I would not be very happy with you if your attitude was "hey, no one knows the day or the hour" as an excuse for not watching. Yes, we know that, that is why we have you on the wall watching. The second command is to pray always that you may be accounted worthy to escape. Today we have these teachers saying "once saved always saved" nullifying the Lord's command here. There is no need to pray always that you might be worthy to escape because if you were saved once then that is it, you have a lifetime pass to the amusement park.
Mark 13:33 Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is. 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. 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: 36 Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. 37 And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.
Who is the porter that is commanded to watch? Well Jesus was talking to the 12 apostles, so they are obviously the porter. But then He concludes "what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch". He commanded the 12 apostles to watch and then He said that same command applies to all believers.
1Corinthians 16:13 Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.
While we are watching we will see some scary things. We will see millions of coffins being readied, we will see guillotines being purchased, we will see 87,000 IRS agents being hired to use guns and deadly force, we will see sorcerers deceiving the whole world with a kill shot, and we will see war, famine, and plagues coming upon this earth. So we don't simply watch, we stand fast in the faith and we behave like men. Be strong. We are on a ship heading into a monstrous storm.
1Thessalonians 5:6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.
People who are not watching are either sleeping or are not sober. If you are drunk on the worldly wine you cannot watch. If you make a giant salary from Pfizer it is very hard to watch. On the other hand if you have been lulled to sleep with the world's lullabye, all the banal, useless media they blast constantly until you fall asleep, then you too can't watch.
Revelation 3:3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
What? Only those who are not watching are the ones who won't know what hour the Lord is coming? How can that be? Suppose I was going on a trip to Asia and you ask when will you return. I say I don't know the day or the hour, but I'll let you know. A few months later you get a message that I bought a ticket for a plane that arrives in two weeks. The New Testament is very clear on this. Two thousand years ago there was no prophecy that would tell us the day or the hour, however, if we are watching we will have a heads up prior to the Lord's coming.
Perhaps the most disturbing aspect of the post - is your willingness to bash the concept of "once saved always saved". In one swing of the proverbial literary axe, you attempted to deny God's Sovereignty, His Omnipotence and His Omniscience, along with many other passages of Scripture. You see verses, that seem to teach the possibility of believers failure to persevere and think that God cannot ensure, that His Elect, will persevere. Because the Elect are OSAS, is the reason why Scripture warns them to be sober and ever watchful. Having the knowledge that our Lord will carry us all the way - it could cause one to be complacent. This should not be! Religionist will not persevere but God's Elect will.
This is why the names of God's Elect were written in the Book of Life, before the foundation of the world because there is no shadow of doubt about it's completion. It is the Father's Plan and He is Sovereign over it. The Lord, Jesus Christ, says He will "lose nothing" and being Omnipotent, who or what is going to prevent it? The Holy Spirit has sealed everyone of God's Elect, who or what can break that seal?
It is sad, that you do not have the blessing of this marvelous truth.