The last two posts have been centered on the words of Jesus found in Matthew 24 and 25. A good number of my latest posts have emphasized the ‘unprecedented unrest’ that I believe the Lord shared with me that is coming to our nation and to the nations of the world.
The title, then, for this post is apropos. 40 years ago, Francis Schaeffer, wrote a book and proposed the question, How Shall We Then Live?
It is said in a book review the he was “one of the foremost evangelistic thinkers of the twentieth century… Francis A. Schaeffer long pondered the fate of declining Western culture. Profoundly aware of the similarities modern culture shares with societies that came before, Schaeffer embarked on a journey to uncover the movements that gave rise to modern culture and resulted in the decline of the Christian worldview…Schaeffer argues that the erosion of society begins with a shift away from biblical truth. To support this claim,he walks readers through history, beginning with the fall of Rome, through the Middle Ages, the Enlightenment, and up to the twentieth century. This latest edition analyzes the reasons for modern society’s state of affairs and present the solution: living by the Christian ethic, fully accepting God’s revelation, affirming the moral, values and meaning of the Bible.” (preach it, brother Schaeffer!) (insert mine)
During this time of ‘unprecedented unrest’, we are abiding in Christ, our ARK, focused upon Him, His Word, listening to what the Holy Spirit is saying to the Church, and being guided by the Holy Spirit.
In the last post, we pointed out four words that we needed to recognize in our daily walk with the Lord. Those four words are Watch, Ready, Alert, Pray.
In Matthew 24:45 NKJV, Jesus asks this question. ”Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?”
I suggest that a ‘faithful’ and ‘wise’ servant is one who begins his or her day watching, being ready, alert, and praying. Embracing these discipline, the servant will with faithfulness and wisdom be directed by the Holy Spirit to carry out his or her duties as a servant.
Matthew 24:47 is the servant’s reward; and Matthew 24:48-58 details a dire warning to a servant that shirks his or her responsibility as a servant and seeks to please him or herself, not taking one’s servanthood seriously.
In Matthew 25:1-3, the Lord gives us another vivid picture of embracing our four words that admonish us to be watchful, ready, alert, and praying.
The parable is about the ten virgins. Jesus says that five of them were wise and five of them were foolish. In essence, the five wise virgins watched and prayed and they were ready and alert. Read the parable carefully and look for their watching, praying, readiness, and alertness.
Some of us may stumble over Matthew 25:5 NKJV, which says, “while the bridegroom tarried (delayed), they all slumbered and slept.” I suggest that when the bridegroom came the five wise virgins were prepared because they had watched and prayed and were ready and alert to respond in a timely fashion.
In Matthew 25:10-13, Jesus shares the consequences of not being ready and prepared when the bridegroom comes. Question: Is the consequence similar to what took place in the day of Noah, when the door to the ark was shut, and the flood came? How so? Jesus says that a day is coming when those who are ready will join Him at the wedding; and those who are not(the foolish virgins) will be saying, “Lord, Lord, open to us! But he answered and said, “Assuredly, I say unto you, I do not know you.” (Matthew 25:11,12 NKJV) (insert mine) [Note: Jesus explains those words in Matthew 25:31-46]
The good news is that this ‘unprecedented unrest’ is not the great tribulation, nor do I believe that it is the Second Coming of Christ. The door into the ARK, is being ‘in Christ’. It is still open.
Jesus said in John 10:7-10 NKJV,
“Then Jesus said to them again, Most assuredly I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill and to destroy. I have come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly.”
The Lord is being very gracious. His admonition to us is a wake-up call for all humanity, our nation, and the nations of the world. It is especially a wake-up call to His Church. The Lord is preparing His people for how to live now and the upcoming ‘unrest’. Those ‘in Christ’ are being stirred to watch and pray and to be ready and alert. Believers are being challenged to live as the Lord’s faithful and wise stewards doing what He bids His servants to do in the last days. He is calling us to live as wise virgins and not as foolish virgins.
In the parable of the virgins, what is the difference between the wise and the foolish virgins?
Matthew 25:3,4 NKJV says, “Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them; but the wise took oil in their vessel with their lamps.”
The wise virgins were prepared; the foolish virgins were complacent. The foolish virgins were not prepared for the bridegrooms coming.
Jesus follows up the parable about the five wise and five foolish virgins telling another parable about the stewardship of talents.
Question: Is there a direct connection between the two parables?
Selah.
I will begin with another question. Stepping back to an earlier teaching by Jesus, what was the difference between the ‘faithful and wise servant’ and the ‘evil servant’ Jesus spoke about in Matthew 24:45-51 ? Jesus said in Matthew 25:48 NKJV, “But if that evil servant says in his heart, “My master is delaying his coming” “, and lives a wanton lifestyle, that servant faces sever consequences (see Matthew 24:45-51).
Thought: The foolish virgins were not ready because of the bridegroom delay.
Jesus, now, continues to picture for His listeners what it is going to be like prior to His return and shares His expectations outlining how His followers should live. This expectation is portrayed for us in a parable entitled, The Parable of the Talents. (Matthew 25:14-30)
At this juncture, I would like to quote from the Spirit Filled Life Bible regarding this passage of scripture. Let me also interject that I believe this quote incorporates what has been previously shared. I trust you will concur.
Matthew “24:14-30 Watchfulness does not mean idleness, but a faithful discharge of one’s responsibilities. The wise use of gifts and abilities entrusted to us results in greater opportunities, while their neglect results not only in the loss of more opportunities, but of that which was entrusted to us.”
It would be good to stop and re-read the Parable of The Talents at this time.
Please bear with me. I am aware that I am being highly repetitive; and that can be detrimental keeping one’s audience’s attention. I guess this is a throwback to when I taught math. I would be highly repetitive in my teaching.
The ‘unprecedented unrest’ in which we are living and which is growing in its intensity will bring judgment upon many individuals (God knows who they are, not me) because of their evil ways. This ‘unprecedented unrest’ will also bring a great awakening and awareness to multitudes of humans regarding the abundant mercy and grace of God. As I have said previously, the door to the ARK is not closed. Our ARK is the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ, and He is the door to the ARK.
Even now, today, the Good News of the Gospel is being preached throughout the world, and many are being saved, healed, delivered, and set free from the bondage of sin, and receiving the forgiveness of their sins. Praise the Lord.
I recommend that you see a network like, the Christian Broadcasting Network, CBN, on YouTube TV. There you can read and see what God is doing in His world.
We are on the ‘doorstep’ of a great awakening in our nation. God is going to bring to this nation ‘A Righteous Revelation Of Wrong-doing’. It may be very tumultuous. For those who have read the post, ‘The ARROW Of God’, the context of the statement is found in Psalm 64, specifically verses 7-10 (TLV)
“But God will shoot them with an arrow–suddenly their wounds will appear. So their tongue will be their downfall. All who see them will flee away. Then all men will fear. So they will declare the work of God, and ponder what He has done. The righteous will be glad in Adonai and take refuge in Him. Let all the upright in heart give glory. (give glory to God and not gloat) (insert mine)
Are you a believer/follower/disciple of Jesus Christ? Then you are in the A.R.K (Adonai’s Righteous Kingdom) and you are safe and secure in the storm, just as Noah was safe in the ark, during the storm (see Psalm 91).
As a follower of Christ, let us recall what Jesus has taught and instructed us about How Shall We Then Live? until He returns, irregardless of how chaotic, tumultuous, confusing, traumatic, dark, “the valley of the shadow of death” or…despair, distraught, discouragement, desperation becomes?
Remember, ”The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want”… ”He leads us in paths of righteousness for His name sake”… Even “though I walk through the shadow of the valley of death.I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and You staff, they comfort me.” (Psalm 23:1,3b,4 NKJV)
Our God and Father, is the God of all comfort. Spirit Filled Life Bible, Word Wealth, Strong’s Concordance, nacham, #5162, To comfort, console, extend compassion, sigh with one who is grieving…In its sense of comfort, nacham does not describe casual sympathy, but rather deep empthay. It is like “weeping with those who weep,” or actually “sighing with those who sigh”.
See 2 Corinthians 1:3-7.
We are to stay focused upon Christ as our Savior, Lord, Master, and Coming King. We are to faithfully serve Him, and walk in His wisdom. We are to faithfully use our talents and not bury them in fear of Him. We are to keep an attitude of watchfulness and not become complacent. We are to be prepared at a moments notice to respond to Him as wise virgins. The Holy Spirit enables us to walk with Him. Therefore, we must daily watch, pray, be alert, and ready (prepared). (insert mine)
Let us remember Jesus’ words in Matthew 16:24 NKJV:
“Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” “
Paul, lived out this instruction daily in his life this way: Galatians 2:20 ,21 NKJV, ”I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.”
So today, let us look forward into the spiritual horizon: watching, praying, being alert, and ready; prepared for the bridegrooms coming; serving as a faithful and wise servant; using our talents responsibly for His Kingdom.
Like the servant, Ezekiel (I Kings 18) sent to view if the storm clouds were gathering on the horizon to bring rain, know that the storm clouds have and are continuing to gather. We can see and hear their thundering in our midst.
Just like Ezekiel was looking for rain as an answer to his prayer to God to end the drought, let our prayers ask God to end the Spiritual drought of the rain of the Holy Spirit, the latter rain; this will also bring His reign in freshness to His Church, His people, and to the nations of the world.
Father, Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.
Let it RAIN/REIGN!
Blessings, a brother in Christ, deo
Living Words of Encouragement 