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: lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch. Mark 13:35-37.
It is a time now when we cannot for a moment take the spiritual eye from Christ Jesus. His admonition to us is, “What I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.” Is there one professed Christian who needs not the warning, and whose heart will not bear watching? The heart must be kept with all diligence, under constant watchfulness. . . .
Watch the stealthy approach of the enemy, watch against old habits and natural inclinations lest they exert themselves; force them back, and watch; force them back if need be a hundred times. Watch the thoughts, watch the plans, lest they become selfish and self-centered. Watch and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. Watch over the souls whom Christ has purchased with His own blood. Watch for opportunities to do them good.
Like Mary, we need to sit at the feet of Jesus to learn of Him, having chosen that better part which will never be taken from us. Like Martha we need to be ever abounding in the work of the Lord. The higher Christian attainments can be reached only by being much on our knees in sincere prayer. . . . One fiber of the root of selfishness remaining in the soul will spring up when least expected, and thereby will many be defiled.
We are in an enemy’s country. He who was cast out of heaven has come down with great power. With every conceivable artifice and device he is seeking to take souls captive. Unless we are constantly on guard we shall fall an easy prey to his unnumbered deceptions.
We are stewards, entrusted by our absent Lord with the care of His household and His interests, which He came to this world to serve. He has returned to heaven, leaving us in charge, and He expects us to watch and wait and prepare for His coming. Let us be faithful to our trust, lest coming suddenly He find us sleeping.
That I May Know Him p. 351
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Prayer Requests
—– Keep my daughter in your prayers. For God’s protection from an ex boyfriend who has been locked up for a couple of years. He turns 18 tomorrow – I have learned a lot about him since they broke up. They had a bad relationship, he was not good to her. Oh and pray for protection over our house as well. J
—– pray for my family in the Philippines as we loss one of my sister in law Thursday. MaryJean
—–Update: Mary, my sister, talked to her nurse this morning and she thought Mother was doing some better, but there is still something they haven’t determined yet. Uncle Ken didn’t get home today because of other health issues. Carol
—–Please pray for T who is battling personal demons. JT
——Dad . . . . has a staph infection..with Double Pneumonia….. Three weeks ago, he started to have problems . . . . Now they have him on controlled breathing.. to raise his blood pressure. (which was in the 70/60’s range. His Heart Rate is was high at 150.. and he was in A-fib for the last two days off and on.) So his systems have been trying to shut down. They did a peri-cardio-centesis to drain fluid off his heart…. and are suctioning his lungs for build-up. He’s been treated with a slew of antibiotics.. (which can compromise the kidneys.. and that is awful!.. if he’s going into kidney failure from that.) He’s on a heart med.. some of this issue there. We need prayer for his liver, kidneys, digestive, and circulatory systems. Brenda
—– Please continue prayers to stop Vladislava’s seizures..She is doing better: she still has seizures, but her development is better. Carol
—– Would everyone pray for my cousin and friend Amanda? She goes to court today for the final on her divorce. She has Biblical grounds so she is in God’s will. I pray God will grant her custody of their son, Trevor. I pray God will grant her his peace and fill her with his spirit. I pray when she stands before the judge that God’s Spirit will speak through her. I pray she will be able to live in peace and safety from now on. Fran
—— Pam will start her Interleukin II treatments tomorrow. She will be terribly sick if she reacts like the treatment usually causes people to respond. Please keep her in prayer. Elva
—–I would like prayers for my dad. I got a call today that my dad was being taken into Spokane, he has been having chest pains and also passed out, and hit the coffee table, and generally not feeling well. He does have a bad Aortic heart valve, and probably needs surgery. Kelly
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Dear Friends,
In 1890, when my grandfather was six, he and his brother, Harold, got their picture taken. It was the only photograph he had of himself until he was about 20. My grandmother did not keep it in the photo album. She had a special place for it because it was the only one of him when he was little. Occasionally she would take it out of its hiding place and allow me to look at it. It was a wonderment to me. His sad face looked at the camera with big frightened eyes. I’d try to imagine what his life was like in those far off days. There was so much unhappiness in that home. His father would not allow his boys to laugh or to sing. They dreaded to see him come home because every night he would beat them because he was sure that they must have done something to deserve a whipping. In four short years after that photo was taken, he would leave home to wander up and down the eastern seaboard coming home occasionally to see his dear mother or to go to school.
Paul says, “we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure.” Heb 12:9-10 Parents often correct their children in anger or because of mistaken concepts of discipline, yet how careful we must be when dealing with them. Their first concept of God is from our example. Through our actions we can draw them to the Saviour or turn them forever away from Him.
How dear to the Saviour’s heart are our children. “And they brought unto him also infants, that he would touch them: but when his disciples saw it, they rebuked them. But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein.” “And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Luke 18:15-17; Matt 18:2-6
“Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord. Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.” “Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.” Col 3:20, 21; Eph 6:1-4 In these verses, Paul commands children to obey their parents but reminds parents that they must not treat their children in such a way that they become discouraged and feel like “what’s the use of trying? I can never please him/her anyway.”
May we remember that we, too, are children of our Father in Heaven. May we be merciful (but not permissive) to our children as our Heavenly Father is merciful to us. May we daily ask Him for wisdom and strength to raise those entrusted to our care.
Rose