ECCE

      Paul referred in part to the prophet Isaiah when writing: "...Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil." (Eph. 5:14-17). This is an incredible truth but people miss it: "Wake up!" We are to walk in wisdom, with which God freely equips the church, and by which we redeem the time in the middle of evil days.     Paul wrote to the church at Thessalonica that we are expected to know the times and the seasons of the return of Christ although the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night. Just when men think they have achieved peace and safety, sudden destruction will come without escape. However, we are not to be like them as they are children of darkness. We are children of light and day: "Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober...But let us, who are of the day, be sobe...

      While traveling this past week, I saw a sign for a place called "Prayer Town." The caption on the sign asked, "What do you see?" The sign sat in the middle of a desolate desert wilderness. "Prayer Town" is associated with a group called The Disciples of Christ, a praying group. This led me to consider what role of prayer should play in our lives.      The first mention of the word "prayer" in scripture is found in 2 Samuel 7. The prophet Nathan received the word of the LORD concerning King David after David told Nathan of his desire to build a house for the LORD and His ark. This word from the LORD dealt with David's reign as king, Israel's appointed place of dwelling forever, and David's descendant that would rule after him who will build the house of the LORD: "He shall build a house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever...and thine house and thy kingdom shall be stablished for ever before t...

       I have been talking for decades about the coming of the Lord, especially in view of the signs that are appearing such as the end time lining up of the nations against Israel. The message from Jesus given to Dr. Richard Eby, with which he titled one of his books, was "Tell them I am Coming." The Church needs to hear the message and prepare.      Jesus told those around Him: "I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is yet day: the night cometh, when no man can work." (Jn. 9:4). He explained that while He was in the world, He was the light of the world. He said that those who believed in Him, including us, were also the light of the world. Are we being light? Are we working the works of the Father?      Jesus also told a parable about a widow who came before an unjust judge demanding justice from him. The judge, not fearing God nor man, at first thought to refuse to do as she asked but then reconsidered. He thought it wou...

      Last week we discussed the importance of the Word of God. It is just as important to rightly divide the Word of God. This means that we should know the correct meaning of the Word, rather than some versions and translations that do not accurately express the true meaning of the scriptures. There are even some versions of the Bible that I have found that omit scripture verses. Using The Blue Letter Bible online gives us the deepest and most thorough meanings of the scriptures from the original language.      Paul wrote of the importance of the Word of God to Timothy, and how it should be kept in our lives: "Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us...Of these things put them (the believers) in remembrance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subve...