Living on Guard

Living on Guard
Words of Faith 3-12-24
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2024
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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Mark 13
[9] "You must be on your guard. You will be handed over to the local councils and flogged in the synagogues. On account of me, you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them. [10] And the gospel must first be preached to all nations. [11] Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.
[12] "Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. [13] All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.
[14] "When you see 'the abomination that causes desolation' standing where it does not belong‑‑let the reader understand‑‑then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. [15] Let no one on the roof of his house go down or enter the house to take anything out. [16] Let no one in the field go back to get his cloak. [17] How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! [18] Pray that this will not take place in winter, [19] because those will be days of distress unequaled from the beginning, when God created the world, until now‑‑and never to be equaled again. [20] No one would survive if the Lord had not cut short those days. But for the sake of the elect, whom he has chosen, he has shortened them. [21] At that time, if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or, 'Look, there he is!' do not believe it. [22] For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and miracles to deceive the elect‑‑if that were possible. [23] So be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time.
[24] "But in those days, following that distress,
" 'the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light;
[25] the stars will fall from the sky,
and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.'

These passages of Scripture spoke to the current time in which Jesus was teaching and the "End Time" that was hundreds of years away. There were severe persecutions that were coming to early believers in Jesus, but also tribulations that are yet to come in human history.
Jesus warned the first disciples to live "on guard ."That is not what pop psychology teaches. The trend today is to try everything. Let every new wind that sounds "spiritual" have its way. But this is not the teaching of Jesus.
Jesus taught that we must be on guard as we see the beginning of the birth pains. This does not mean we are not open and loving to people who need the Lord. We are, however, quite guarded and careful about what we allow to influence us. Some churches have thrown open the floodgates of the world, allowing every imaginable doctrine or heresy to be taught. We must be on guard.
There are additional signs that Jesus gave that help us to know that the end is near. There will be persecution by civil and religious authorities (v.9), worldwide evangelization (v.10), a supernatural witness (v.11), divided families (v.12-13), 5), and some enduring all this and being saved (v.13).
Another debate is whether this describes a tribulation that the church will endure. The answer to that question will ultimately be known through the experience of the church in the End Time. Several of these signs are already quite evident in our time. Whether the church will see some or all of these things does not matter. Jesus said: be on guard.
Here are the things to watch for. We should not be surprised when persecution comes. Evangelization will thrive as it always does during persecution. God will provide the words and will speak through those who witness for Him. Families will divide.
What shall we do when we see such times? In Acts 4:29-‑31, amid persecution, the believers prayed: "Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your Word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus." After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and boldly spoke the Word of God.
So, live watching. Be on guard. Be prepared to speak when called upon to give the reason for the hope that is in you.

Lord, enable your servants to speak your Word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of Your holy servant, Jesus. Shake the church. Fill us with Your Holy Spirit. Speak through me boldly. In Jesus' name, Amen.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2024
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail, excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2024 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.