Luke 12:35-40 Keep your loins girded and your lamps burning,36 And be like men who are waiting for their master to return home from the marriage feast, so that when he returns from the wedding and comes and knocks, they may open to him immediately.37 Blessed (happy, fortunate, and [l]to be envied) are those servants whom the master finds awake and alert and watching when he comes. Truly I say to you, he will gird himself and have them recline at table and will come and serve them!38 If he comes in the second watch (before midnight) or the third watch (after midnight), and finds them so, blessed (happy, fortunate, and [m]to be envied) are those servants!39 But of this be assured: if the householder had known at what time the burglar was coming, he would have been awake and alert and watching and would not have permitted his house to be dug through and broken into.40 You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour and a [n]moment when you do not anticipate it.
Many Christians are waiting for the rapture. In fact, many Christians have been waiting for the rapture for over 2000 years. When will HE come? Many do not know HE can come for us personally. Yes, HE is coming but HE is also coming to us personally to answer our prayers, our breakthroughs, and personal encounters. But the question is how long can we endure and wait for our Savior and King. Many do not realize that half our walk or battle is learning to just wait for God. However, spending your time on the couch for hours or internet wasting time watching news, TV, or movies is not waiting for HIM.
Scripture gives us instructions on how to wait for Jesus and what the consequences are for falling alseep. "Keep your loins girded and lamps burning." The belt is to hold the pants up. The belt keeps our pants in position. We are to hold our positions and the responsiblities the Lord has given us and be in still presence to keep our lamps burning. Spending hours on Facebook is not keeping your lamps burning. Even if you say you are here on FB for ministry, spending hours here will bear no true fruit. To be in HIS presence, we must do the basics of reading the Word, pray, and worship consistently and daily to keep the lamps burning as we wait for the Lord. Reading and watching end time news and other Christian tabloids will only dim your lights.
The Lord gives us a hint when HE will return. He hints in verse 38 asking a question. If the master comes on the second or third watch and if the servant is still awake and expecting, the servant will be greatly blessed. What is second watch? What is the third watch? In Roman time, the second watch was defined as 9 PM to midnight. The third watch is midnight to 3 AM. In those days where there was no electricity, internet, phones, 24 hour commerce, most if not all the people went to bed very early. They probably went to be before 9 PM. Therefore, to physically stay up beyond 9 PM would be very difficult.
Today, in modern time, staying up from 9 PM to midnight is not a big deal because of our technology. But for many people to stay beyond midnight would be difficult. The Lord requires us to spiritually stay up beyond midnight. Therefore, as we continue to pray, worship, obey, and dying to ourselves, we are waiting for God to answer our prayers, breakthrough, and perhaps even HIM. But the Lord is hinting HE will not come when it is easy. HE will come when it is most difficult and when it is late. How many can endure the time?
If you are praying for something such as salvation for your family, how long can you continue praying? If you are praying for financial breakthrough or to rid yourselves of sin and bondage, how long can you cry out to God until HE answers your prayer? How many have quit so early because they could not endure the time? If we cannot endure the time for our prayer requests or breakthrough, then how can we endure the time as HE comes for the church?
What is the great reward for those who can wait and endure the time consistently? In verse 37 "Truly I say to you, he will gird himself and have them recline at table and will come and serve them"
When the servant keeps awake (prays), alert, and watching in the late hour, then what is our reward? What is the fruit of those who are truly awake, alert, and watching? The reward is that the Master will gird himself with the apron and have the servants recline at the table to serve them. Why would the Master in the servant's apron serve the servants and what is HE serving.
When we PROPERLY stay awake, alert, and watch and when HE comes for us, HE will feed us at HIS table and serve us. HE will feed us HIS revelation, HIS wisdom, HIS deep secrets of the Kingdom of God. HE will answer our prayers. HE will give us breakthrough. HE will gives us power and anointing to do HIS work and greater. But how many can wait?
Luke 12:45-47 But if that servant says in his heart, My master is late in coming, and begins to strike the menservants and the maids and to eat and drink and get drunk,46 The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour of which he does not know, and will punish him and cut him off and assign his lot with [p]the unfaithful.47 And that servant who knew his master’s will but did not get ready or act as he would wish him to act shall be beaten with many [lashes].
But if the servants in his heart starts to eat, drink and get drunk which means to go back to the world and the worldly things rather than staying in the Godly things, then the Master will come back in a time nor hour he does not know and punish him and cut him to pieces and assign him to the unfaithful and unbelievers.
For those who do not know the time nor hour of HIS great return will be those who are not truly waiting for HIM properly. Those who are properly alert, awaken, and watching, HE will let us know when that time comes because HE has come for them personally in many different ways as their personal prayers and breakthroughs have been answered. They have HIS wisdom, revelation, and deep secrets to feed others.
Please watch the story of the Chinese bamboo tree
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bo8siqfciHo
Are you able to endure the time in unceassing prayer waiting for HIM?
Pastor Steve Yong Kim
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