Good morning and welcome in everybody. Today we are going to take a look at a passage of Scripture, but before we do that I wanted to tell you a little story.
The other day when I was taking a short break, I was watching a short video about the life of hawks. Both the bald eagle and hawks are incredibly interesting to watch, especially when they go hunting. A hunter had mounted a trail camera in the woods, and managed to capture a large rabbit who was sprawled out in a large clear clearing. I don’t think he could have stretched out any further, and look completely relaxed like he had just eaten a huge supper and laid down for a quick nap. While he was resting, you could see a hawk flying very low in the distance. He drew closer and closer and eventually landed right on top of the rabbit, grabbing him with his talons and heading off to his nest. The rabbit had been caught completely unawares, without any time to react, and before he knew it, his life had come quickly to an end.
This reminds me of the Christian Life.
Each of us share a brief existence of physical life here upon the Earth, and then like a wisp of smoke, it’s gone. Those who claim to follow Jesus must get ready right now for a new Heaven and a new Earth, one that He is preparing for His faithful and obedient children. We must be alert and watch, so that when that day finally happens, we are ready for the new world that is coming.
“Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.” James 4:14
When we are submerged beneath the waters of baptism, we rise up to a brand new life in Christ Jesus. Our lives from that point on are a series of preparations to eventually go home to be with God. It’s like spending a week packing your luggage, knowing that next week you will be going on a long trip. Essentially, this is what we do each day, but the only difference is that we are preparing our souls. This is done through repentance, mortification of the flesh, self denial, confession of sins, and becoming a completely new creature in Christ Jesus. We must be transformed from sinners into Saints so that we are ready for God’s perfect Kingdom. We must be filled up with the oil of the Holy Spirit, and our vessels must be shining brightly when the Lord returns.
Matthew 25 ¹ Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. ² And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. ³ They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: ⁴ But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. ⁵ While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. ⁶ And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. ⁷ Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. ⁸ And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. ⁹ But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. ¹⁰ And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. ¹¹ Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. ¹² But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. ¹³ Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.
Noah was a man who was filled with a great fear and reverence for God. He knew by the wickedness that surrounded him, that God was eventually going to destroy the world.
Unlike the world, he watched and prepared himself each day for God’s coming judgment. When that day finally arrived, he was ready, but those who weren’t, didn’t even see it coming. Only God knows the length of our days, and we must watch and be prepared for that great day in the future.
Matthew 24 ³⁷ But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. ³⁸ For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, ³⁹ And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. ⁴⁰ Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. ⁴¹ Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. ⁴² Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. ⁴³ But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.
⁴⁴ Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
The Lord and His disciples constantly warned the church to repent and lovingly submit to the will of God. If people choose to rebel against the teachings of our blessed Lord, like the rabbit in the field, God shall reap them quickly. At that point, any hope will be lost, because the opportunity to become obedient to God will have passed them by.
“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.” Revelation 3:3
Luke 21 ³⁴ And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. ³⁵ For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. 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.
It is certainly not a sin to drink alcohol, but if you consume too much, it can cause drunkenness. Sobriety is not to be confused with abstaining. Abstain means to not have something at all. Sobriety means not to have too much. God gives us all things to freely enjoy, but whatever that may be, you must make sure that you do not overindulge. You must keep your eyes open and alert to the lives that we must maintain, in order to obtain the kingdom that is eventually coming.
“Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.” 1 Thessalonians 5:6
God will reward those who keep watching for Him.
Luke 12 ³⁵ Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning;
³⁶ And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. ³⁷ Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them. ³⁸ And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.
The Lord taught that we must strive to enter in at the straight gate, because many people will try to enter Heaven, but they simply won’t make it. They had time available on Earth to prepare themselves, but they never did anything about it. For that group of people, that day will come suddenly upon them and they won’t even see it coming, just like the story of the slumbering rabbit, and….
…..The Hawk
Let’s think about these things for right now. We can be found on your web browser by searching, tlkjbc where you can find our diaries distributed through various platforms. We are not associated, nor affiliated with any other religious goups. You can get our entire podcast feeds directly, along with transcripts at tlkjbc.com or I suppose that you could find us somewhere up here, in the Great Northern Minnesota woods. Peace to you, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody. ❤️
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