“STAY AWAKE!”

Matthew 24:36-44                                     (ESV)
“36 "But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the SON, but the FATHER only.
37 For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the SON of MAN.
38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark,
39 and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the SON of MAN.
40 Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left.
41 Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left.
42 Therefore, “STAY AWAKE”, for you do not know on what day your LORD is coming.
43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into.
44 Therefore you also must be ready, for the SON of MAN IS COMING AT AN HOUR YOU DO NOT EXPECT.“



It can be extremely easy to busy ourselves with the cares of “this world” and neglect matters of LIFE and death.  The words LIFE and death are far more than what most people SEE, it is the difference in what we Believe, or don’t believe.  Our lives are LIVING proof of what we Believe, whether we realize it or not.  A WISE person does NOT cast their pearls to the pigs (Matthew 7:6)!

Likewise, the tendency to be asleep at the wheel with the LIFE given to us by the FATHER is a tremendous problem.  Allowing “the enemy” to deceive us into trusting in our abilities to be successful in our jobs, our family, or clubs, even our local church, is precisely his goal!  We are Soldiers in the Army of GOD.  We don’t have the privilege of resting on our laurels and counting our successes.  Keep in mind, we only have the breath in our lungs, the next breath belongs to HIM (Isaiah 42:5)!

In the Scriptures above, JESUS gives the examples of two men working in the fields, and two women grinding at the mill, and when the SON of MAN returns, in each case one will be taken, and one will be left.  The people who are left will obviously be wondering WHAT HAPPENED?  If we STUDY Scripture at all, we should have a graphic realization that the JUDGEMENT “IS” coming!  Why do we allow “the enemy” to deceive us into ignoring what is coming?  WHY???

Only by the GRACE OF GOD OPENING our EYES can we SEE the SPIRITUAL TRUTHS in our midst.  1 Corinthians 2:14-16 says that the unregenerate person (natural man) does NOT accept the things of the SPIRIT OF GOD!  We MUST “STAY AWAKE” and recognize that “the enemy” is trying to deceive us, trying to steal and kill and destroy us!  By succumbing to the natural tendencies of the flesh, we are yielding to death!  We have to fight to “STAY AWAKE” and look for JESUS, the AUTHOR and PERFECTER of our FAITH!!