The Diligence of the Ant (16 views) Subscribe   
  From:  Minister Falcon (OSMFalcon)     5/3/2003 11:27 pm  
To:  ALL   (1 of 3)  
 
  594.1  
 
THE DILIGENCE OF THE ANT

Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise, which, having no captain, overseer or ruler, provides her supplies in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest. Proverbs 6:6

The Bible SHOULD be interpreted by the Bible. It IS the infallible written word of God. His word does, and WILL sustain us in future days and for salvation and eternity with the living God.

The tribulation IS about to begin. There ARE pastors and teachers who teach false doctrine. We DO need to prepare as never before by purifying our hearts and repenting our sins.

We must be looking solely toward the Church of Christ, and remove ourselves from anything that would separate us from God. Our efforts to focus on His church must be with our whole heart and soul.

Hoarding food, water and survival materials may sound drastic. It may sound as though only for instilling fear. There are wars and rumors of wars today. We see , even now, in Iraq, the terrible circumstances due to the lack of water and the scarcity of food. Perhaps it is not wrong to think of survival needs for the body in time of war, any more than it is to prepare our souls for eternity.

Yes, He is our supplier of all our needs, but we must listen to His word. He has told us to prepare as He told Noah. The supplies of preparation for Noah were in his own back yard, and he built the ark. Are we wrong to prepare when He has told us to prepare? Noah believed, feared, and acted. Should we do less?

Are we to be so sure, so confident in our position of faith, that we need not be shown where we may be failing, where we need correction, where we have need of repentance? 

Are the words calling for watchfulness and preparation words of gloom and doom? Are they only words of anxiety and fear? Fear came to Noah because he heard the word of God and believed. Those who would be destroyed laughed and scoffed and didnt listen.

God does not call us to the spirit of fear, but to love and power and a sound mind. He also calls us to prepare; prepare for His return.

Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the very place where the prophet Zechariah had predicted that the Messiah would stand when He came to establish His kingdom (Zec 14:4). Christ pointed out to His disciples that they should be less concerned with knowing the exact time of His Second Coming and more concerned with being prepared (Mt 24:3). We are to prepare and be ready (Mt 24:44-47) and remain prepared against those who will challenge our faith. Is giving this warning to remain diligent always coming only to instill fear? 

Many times, in my personal life, as well as my life with strangers, I have felt as one crying in the wilderness. Desperately Ive wanted His word to be heard. Desperately Ive wanted salvation for someone who had lost their way. It did feel as a heaviness on my shoulders. It is a great responsibility God has given us.

The Lord is the Lord of joy. He strengthens us. He has given us His Spirit to dwell within us. The Spirit is not idle though. He fills us with His love, He speaks to us His words, but we are continually working out our salvation. No one can blow out our flame of faith but we ourselves. Therefore, we must remain watchful that we are not deceived. In that we must remain watchful over the world and the church. Are we not blessed of the Lord when we call others to watchfulness, preparation and repentance?

Perhaps it IS hard to feel love from a given warning. Perhaps it is troubling to hear of the need for preparation and repentance against the coming tribulation. However, perhaps this preparedness and repentance is needed for a much desired revival in the world. The message of Christ, which was urgent for His time, IS urgent today. We can not let the urgency in the message be misinterpreted.

When Jesus returns I believe He will look at whos message I taught and lived. I believe He will look at who and how I loved. I believe He will look at how I fulfilled His work given me. He will look at how I prepared to meet Him, and having repented, He will say Well done, good and faithful servant.Enter into the joy of your Lord.

Our salvation comes through the blood of Christ, which was shed for our sins that we might have eternal life.

The end times are approaching. We are meant to spread love and the word of God. We are not to hide; we are not to fear or spread fear. But if I give you the word of the need for preparedness, diligence and repentance am I not also giving you the word of God?

When John the Baptist prepared the Way of the Lord, his words were loud, harsh and full of zeal. They were also words of preparation and repentance. His words may have caused fear in some, but who? Was it Johns intention to instill fear? Did his message mean he had no love within him? When those who believed came in repentance to be baptized in water, must John not have felt love, love for the Lord and love for those who repented and received Him? Johns love was pure and true and for others, not himself. His type of correction was not easily accepted, but it was from God.

Yes, we here are already Christian. Does that make us immune to sin? Does that mean we need not remain watchful less we become one of the lost? Are we not to work out our salvation? Does our faith remain strong if we are idle? We are to DO His will to the end. We are called to remain watchful, less even the elect be fooled. Do not reject every messenger with the message of John the Baptist.

It is not our place to condemn, for that is of the Lord, but we are called to love one another, to give out the word, and to correct, in love, where correction is needed. Will we not be called to answer for those who, through our lack of attention and correction, lose salvation? Let us not reject all who come with correction.

There are and continue to be false Christs, false prophets and false teachers who will fool many. We are not to believe every spirit, but to test each spirit, if it be of God.

In the end times God will take care of those who keep their eyes on Him. He will see to our needs. He will feed us when we have no more food, He will give us water when there is no more. He will clothe us when we have nothing. Still we are told to repent of our sins, remain diligent, keep our lamps filled with oil, be watchful lest we be led astray.

Indeed, we must never become consumed with fear and doom. We must never preach repentance for the sake of instilling dread and fear. Neither should we become complaisant as we work out our salvation. 

I do not speak to prophecy, nor to any one person, nor about any person. What I speak to is our constant need for diligence, discernment, watchfulness and repentance. 

Every warning we receive calling for these things is not always an attempt to instill ungodly fear, it is not always given without love, nor is it always to be rejected. 
 
  
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  From:  LR43   5/5/2003 6:39 am  
To:  Minister Falcon (OSMFalcon)    (2 of 3)  
 
  594.2 in reply to 594.1  
 
OSMFALCON, 
I agree that we should be ever watchful but I am not keeping a supply of food and water in my pocket/napsack. Our LORD JESUS CHRIST told us to take nothing with us. He fed the children of Israel for forty years so HE can and will feed us also. He tought us how and what to pray for in Matt. 
  
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   From:  Minister Falcon (OSMFalcon)     5/6/2003 1:27 am  
To:  LR43   (3 of 3)  
 
  594.3 in reply to 594.2  
 
Amen in times of war, one has to be prudent, yet totally reliant on God.  I agree...even in times of peace, the same applies to us again.   Amen? ~Minister Falcon 
  
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