Occupy Until He Comes

The air in Colorado is filled with ash and smoke; I cannot imagine what it is like in California, Nevada, Idaho and Montana. Hard to breathe. Going for a walk feels like smoking a cigarette (I guess, although I've never smoked one!)  

The air quality is, to me, a picture of the dark, shadowy times we are in. And the days ARE getting darker and more evil.  Surely there is no one left on this blog list who is expecting our lives to "return to normal."  If you are, please read your Bible!  Our Lord makes it so very clear in SO many scriptures that once the birth pains begin, they increase in intensity, as birth pains always do. 

So I'm sending this blog out with what I hope will be some ENCOURAGING WORDS as we all endeavor to navigate these very difficult days and figure out what Jesus meant when He said, "Occupy until I come" (Luke 19:13).  Occupy? What did He mean by this?  Well, the Greek word used here is Strong's 4231, pragmateuomai, which translates as "busy oneself, to trade."  So, this word occupy very literally referred to the work we should be doing while we await His coming.  

This past week someone passed on to me a very excellent list of Scriptures compiled by Natan Lawrence that brought me wonderful insight as to how I should be occupying my time in these days.  Allow me to share with you what the Holy Spirit began showing me; and in order to make this valuable time for YOU to spend with the Holy Spirit in your Bible, you can look up the Scripture references.

First, we are called to WATCH and PRAY (Matt. 26:41, Mark 13:33, Luke 21:36).  Keeping watch is the first thing Jesus told His disciples to do when they inquired, "What will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?" (Matthew 24:3). Keeping watch means you have turned your audio/video channel to the Holy Spirit, watching what He is doing in the earth and listening for His daily instruction.  As we see geopolitical events occurring (especially with Israel and the Middle East) we should be studying end time prophecies and watch for the fulfillment of these Scriptures, happening even RIGHT NOW!  This means we must be awake, not asleep, like the five virgins who had their lamps filled with oil.  They knew what time it was and they were ready for the coming of their Bridegroom-King. Sadly, the other five were not and the door was shut on them (Matthew 25:1-10).

We must be encouraged to turn off the TV more often and spend time in prayer. I'm preaching to myself here! The LORD is waiting for us to come spend time with him.  However, I notice that every time I get on my knees and plead with him for mercy for our nation, I heard His still, small Voice respond, "Not until there is repentance. " So we must earnestly pray for the wicked to be convicted, the laws to be reversed back to righteous rulings, and for Truth to overcome the lies!  Pray especially for the Supreme Court's hearing of Roe v. Wade this Fall.

We also must continue to be salt and light to those around us (Matt. 5:13-16) even when we are reviled or persecuted. We can clearly see that the persecution of the saints is coming closer and closer, even as churches are being burned in Canada and all rights and freedoms are being taken away in many places across the globe.  Reach out to and help the persecuted and the downtrodden.  Read 2 Timothy 3:12, Matthew 5:10-12, 10:22-25, Mark 10:30, John 15:19-21, 16:2, 33, John 17:14, 1 Thess 3:3-4, 1 Peter 4:12-16 and Rev. 7:14.  These scriptures make it abundantly clear to us that things do not get better on the earth in the end times. As Natan wrote, "He is coming at the midnight hour when evil will be the most pervasive and rampant on the earth."  

If you end up having to disobey civil laws in order to keep God's Law, pray through these scriptures: Acts 4:19, Acts 5:29 and Psalms 94:16.  Be wise as serpents and gentle as doves (Matt 10:16).  

I belive that it is time RIGHT NOW for us to recognize the New World Order (Beast) system that is overtaking all the nations, and using a virus to spread so much FEAR that all the people will comply.  I see the stage being set RIGHT NOW for an "Antichrist" world ruler to step up and offer great solutions for world peace, world health, and world "unity."  Can't you see it, beloved? It's at the door!  To this our Lord and Savior calls, "Come out of her my people, so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues. For her sins have reached to Heaven and God has remembered her iniquities." (Rev. 18:4-5).  

The time is now for us to set our hearts on our SOON-COMING KING and resolve to  "not love our lives to the death." (Rev. 12:11).  We get this kind of courage and tenacious faith by doing what the first part of that Scripture says: "They overcame him (Satan/Antichrist) by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony."  Your testimony may be your martyrdom that stands as a great witness to many, many other lost souls in that day; and your Eternity with God is secured by the blood of the Lamb in whom you have placed your faith and all your trust.   For whoever wants to save their life wil lose it, but whoever loses their life for My sake will find it (Matthew 16:25).

The darker and more intensely evil this world gets, we the more we are to hold fast to Jesus/Yeshua, the Rock of our Salvation (2 Samuel 22:2). He promises us, "To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with Me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on His throne" (Rev. 3:21). Is this not a promise worth dying for?

Occupy, brothers and sisters, until He comes!  For all of us this means:
WATCH, STAND FAST IN THE FAITH, BE BRAVE, BE STRONG.  LET ALL THAT YOU DO BE DONE WITH LOVE (1 Cor. 16:13-14).
BE AT PEACE AMONG YOURSELVES, WARN THOSE WHO ARE UNRULY,  COMFORT THE FAINTHEARTED, UPHOLD THE WEAK, BE PATIENT WITH ALL.  (1 Thess. 5:13-14).
REJOICE ALWAYS, PRAY WITHOUT CEASING, AND IN EVERYTHING GIVE THANKS, FOR THIS IS THE WILL OF GOD IN CHRIST JESUS FOR YOU (1 Thess. 5:16-18)

And may the God of Peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our LORD AND MESSIAH YESHUA! (1 Thess 5:23)