ALERT TO OPPORTUNITIES:
Awake, courageous and active in the End-Times
(3-2024) by Carol Scheitlin
To be “alert” is to be watchful, ready, aware, keeping your eyes open. The Christian who is alert keeps their spiritual eyes open, is aware of Bible truths, is watchful as he sees Bible prophecies being fulfilled, and is ready to serve, love and meet the needs of others – especially reaching out to address the deepest need of salvation.
This is Carol Scheitlin of New Life Expressions. This month I’d like to highlight the importance of staying awake, keeping alert, and being open to the ways God might want to use you in these days before Jesus returns.
We will look at some important ways we can actively stay alert.
I pray the Lord gives you His insight and wisdom as to how you can apply these points and Scriptures in your life. Let’s get started…
STAY MINDFUL:
Knowing what hinders your attentiveness
1 Peter 5:8 esv: “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”
2 Corinthians 3:17 esv: “For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.”
Your adversary the devil can’t stand the fact that you are moving forward in Jesus, loving God’s people, growing in the Word, blessing God’s children, and sharing God’s Good News, the Gospel of salvation.
Satan will try to discourage you, try to distract you, try to get you to lose hope, to quit, and even try to get you to tap out of life. BUT GOD.
BUT GOD is greater. As a Christian, you have all that is needed to keep focused, to remain vigilant, and to keep doing what God has called you specifically to do. As a believer in Messiah, you don’t have to be distracted by the destructive tactics and dark places of the devil. You can overcome darkness by the Light that dwells within you.
1 John 1:5 nkjv “This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.”
1 John 8:12 nkjv “Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying “I am the LIGHT of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the LIGHT of LIFE.”
Yes, you can be aware of satan’s devices, but do not focus on them! Satan wants to destroy your life, BUT GOD WANTS TO SAVE YOUR LIFE! Stay mindful of the saving power of Jesus, the Light of the world, and keep your heart and mind fixed on Him.
KEEP SPIRITUAL EYES OPEN:
Praying and relying on the Holy Spirit to reveal opportunities to bless others
Ephesians 6:18 esv: “Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints..”
We are given the gift of the Holy Spirit Who teaches us, and guides us into all Truth. Scripture tells us to pray at all times. Praying in the Spirit is praying according to God’s Word, led by His Spirit, in the truth and power of the Holy Spirit.
Through whatever we face, whatever is going on in our lives, praying and petitioning our Lord is powerful and effective.
May we never give up on prayer – praying not just for ourselves, but also for others. God has His perfect timing in all things. Pray, petition, persevere, intercede – and continue praying. May we be led, and open to ways we can help and bless our brothers and sisters both here and around the world.
BE WATCHFUL:
Seeing the urgency, without fear, ready to act wisely and courageously
1 Thessalonians 5:2-3 esv: “For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.”
Matthew 24:42 esv: “Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.”
1 Corinthians 16:13 nkjv: “Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.”
We see how crazy the world is becoming, moving further and further away from God’s love and truth. We, all the more, need to be courageous in the ways of God, wise, and strong in faith
While we know many of the detailed end-time events that have been prophesied for the future of the world (events revealed in the Bible’s book of Revelation), we are not to fear. We are to be ready, to act wisely and courageously, strong in faith, with confidence not in ourselves, but confident in the power of our Righteous King, the Creator of the Heavens and earth.
BE AWARE OF THE FRUIT:
Inspecting your fruit
Galatians 5:19-21 nkjv: “Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like, of which I tell you beforehand, just like I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22-23)
We all can fall into things of the flesh. But for all our weakness and sin, the remedy is found in our Savior Jesus. When we believe in Jesus, we are given power through His Spirit to overcome those sins of the flesh which war against the Spirit. We can repent of any sinful works of the flesh, confess it to God, and get back on track.
Is your life displaying the fruit of the Holy Spirit? Or the fruit of the flesh? Be aware of the type of fruit being produced in your life. Inspect your thoughts and actions.
Are you regularly feeding on God’s Word, being nourished in Godly fellowship, and filled with the Holy Spirit producing the good fruit?
Lord, we ask – please show us, renew us, forgive us, revive us, and fill us with all the good fruit of your Holy Spirit. And may we bless and encourage others, sharing GOD’S GOOD fruit - especially in these days before Jesus returns.
BE ALERT TO SHARE:
Being ready always to share the Hope of the Gospel
John 3:16-17 nkjv: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”
1 Peter 3:15 ”But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect…”
There are so many people who are hurting, confused, and suffering in the world today. This means we have so many opportunities to bring a healing word, to show love and share the hope and life-giving message of the Gospel.
In some practical ways, for example, you might want to:
- encourage someone through a text, or send a quick note
- reach out through a caring conversation
- initiate a caring phone call
- take someone out for a cup of coffee, or lunch, whatever may be helpful and right
- ask if you can pray for them, listen to their story, with gentleness and respect.
May we always be alert for daily opportunities to share, with love, the Hope that the Gospel brings.
AVOID THE GIANT PITFALL:
Avoiding the loveless trap
1 Peter 4:8 esv: “Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.”
1 Corinthians 13:2 esv: “And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.”
Scriptures give us a vital key. All the commandments can be summed up in a few words. We are called to love God with all our hearts, and love our neighbors as ourselves. Christ is our example. We are to keep Christ’s priority of love as our priority.
We can avoid the pitfall of loveless-ness, of being indifferent, of being hyper-critical, cold, callous, or uncaring.
We can be set free from a self-focus, from pride, and move into a Godly love-focus.
Keep alert to the many opportunities we have to follow Christ’s example – to share the pure love of Messiah Yeshua/Jesus to a sin-damaged world.
In summary, I encourage you to:
- Stay mindful. Be aware of the darkness, but KEEP YOUR MIND FIXED AND FOCUSED ON GOD Who is greater, GOD Who is Light, GOD Who is Life!
- Keep your spiritual eyes open. Pray always. Pray in the power of the Holy Spirit, and be open to opportunities to bless others.
- Be watchful, knowing end-time Bible prophecies, but do not fear. Stay awake, be sober, stand firm in faith, shine the Truth. Find your strength, courage and wisdom in our all-powerful God, Creator of the Heavens and earth.
- Be aware of your fruit. Be forgiven, revived, renewed, and filled with the good fruit of the Spirit of God.
- Be alert, and ready always to share the Hope of the Gospel with those who are hurting or without hope.
- Avoid of the “loveless” trap. Instead, make Christ’s example and His love your priority from day to day, loving God and loving those He places in your life.
Especially in these days before the great return of our Savior Jesus:
1 Corinthians 16:14 esv: “Let all that you do be done in love.”
Mark 13:37 esv: “And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake.”
Thanks for visiting. Visit this website next time for a message entitled: "Speaking Wisely”.
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If your identity is not found in Jesus - If you don’t know Jesus, you can know Him! A few quick things to help you get started:
- Pick up the Holy Bible and start reading! (The Gospel of John in the New Testament is a great place to start!).
- Click HERE to find out about God’s FREE Gift of Salvation.
- Get connected to a solid church where the Bible is taught. Book by book, verse by verse teaching, is a great way to gain rich understanding!
- Turn from darkness and the bondage of sin, and trust Messiah Jesus to give you life and make you NEW in Him!
Carol Scheitlin is director of New Life Expressions, writer, author, and blogger. She has served short term on various missions around the world, long term in engineering and manufacturing businesses, and for many years directed a worldwide outreach. She loves encouraging people to see Messiah Jesus throughout the Scriptures – and to know God’s awesome, perfect and sacrificial love. Only through HIM can we know this deep love, and have real hope, victory - and New Life!
Carol has written 12 books, being published over time. The first two books, "Let the House of Aaron Say", and "I Will Bless Those Who Bless You" are currently available on Amazon. Book #3 will, Lord-willing, be available this year.
For more info, quick links to order books, check news, the latest resources and updates, click HERE for News & Updates.
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