"Faith That Watches"

"We see not our signs: there is no more any prophet: neither is there among us any that knoweth how long." (Psalms 74:9) The idea is based upon "those that eagerly await or look forward to the Lord's return." Are you that man or woman who fits that description? More and more I hear people say, "It's time, but if the Lord tarries, I am going to do this or that." I can only imagine how we are going to react if we are not taken; what the average Christian might think, if they are still here and others around them are gone. I am 100% a pre-tribulation believer, and I fully expect that the Lord will snatch His church out of this world before He releases His wrath upon it; no, I more than believe it, I know it to be true; I know it, because I know the Lord would not beat His bride! That said, there are going to be multitudes of people that get saved during the Tribulation, millions! And out of those multitudes, I am pretty sure that there will be many who wanted a "sign" before fully committing their lives to the Lord. That's not to say that they were not committed before, because they most likely were to a certain degree; but they just weren't fully committed, committed enough to give Him 100% of their lives. Yesterday at church I heard something interesting from Pastor Rick, who was teaching out of Joshua 10:1-24; he said, "Partial obedience is disobedience." As I thought about his statement, I could not help but think about what Jesus said regarding those that plow looking backwards. It comes from the portion of Scripture in Luke 9:62, where Jesus is speaking about "God's Kingdom Must Be First" in our lives. It starts in verse 57, where a man walking along with Jesus said, "Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest." Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head." Then there are some discussions about some people who want to follow Jesus, but they need to do something first, like, bury their father, or say goodbye to loved ones; to which Jesus answered: "No man, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." It is really about giving Christ your all, whatever that might be worth; because for some, it's full time ministry, but for others, it might be living out an occupation or raising a family; either one of those can do so wholeheartedly for the Lord, or can do so looking back. In other words, just because you are in ministry full time, that does not exclude you from not giving the Lord your all. It's just like the "Love of Riches" is not just for those who are rich or wealthy; because even the poor can be guilty of having a love of riches; they are just miserable because they don't have riches, while the rich can be miserable having riches. Either way, they are looking the wrong way for what matters the most...
"So don't be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to those in need. This will store up treasure for you in heaven! And the purses of heaven never get old or develop holes. Your treasure will be safe; no thief can steal it and no moth can destroy it. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be. Be dressed for service and keep your lamps burning, as though you were waiting for your master to return from the wedding feast. Then you will be ready to open the door and let him in the moment he arrives and knocks. The servants who are ready and waiting for his return will be rewarded. I tell you the truth, he himself will seat them, put on an apron, and serve them as they sit and eat! He may come in the middle of the night or just before dawn. But whenever he comes, he will reward the servants who are ready. Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would not permit his house to be broken into. You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected." (Luke 12:32-40) NLT