Watchman Daily Devotional, Be Joyful; Pray Always; Give Thanks; Yield To the Spirit
1 Thessalonians 5:16-19 16 Be joyful always; 17 pray continually; 18 give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 19 Do not put out the Spirit's fire;
The author of the New Testament letters lists numerous imperative, present-tense demands multiple times. The Greek verb tense indicates that we need to follow each of these directions immediately. We are to be happy now and forever. It is a spiritual fruit. Happiness is not the same as joy. How could you be happy and cry with others who cry? Joy is considerably more than just your current emotional condition. It is the feeling you get when you think your loving Father is in control of everything. Happiness in the face of adversity is a potent sign that your faith is genuine.
The second directive is to pray all the time. Many times, people wonder how this is possible. It is not possible to shut yourself off from the outside world and talk to God nonstop. This is the Christian life, if walking in daily, heart-to-heart connection with God is what it means. Jesus ought to be our best friend, someone we spend every day with. You will continue to walk in the Spirit if you share with Him often and pay attention to His voice.
It is God's intention that we be grateful in all situations. Without a profound determination to walk by faith and not by sight, as everyone knows, this is impossible. How can we give God thanks for suffering and loss? Only when we have faith that He will use everything for our good will it be feasible. Gratitude alters our viewpoint and prevents the harm the opponent intends to do.
The list of instructions is lengthy, but the final one is this one: Do not extinguish the Spirit's fire. You will be moved by the Spirit of God to share His enthusiasm for some of the issues you come across. Don't suppress that. Keep your heart open to His guidance. Accept it. He is urging you to go and use His strength to address that need. We know that being obedient will cost us, which is why we are throwing water on that fire. Anxious about the price is a carnal viewpoint. From a godly standpoint, it presents a chance to serve as God's tool, winning His favor and securing treasure in paradise.
Be happy at all times, pray often, express gratitude, and submit to the Spirit.
The Great Tribulation
It is our belief that the Great Tribulation referred to in the New Testament Book of Revelation (chapters 6-11) is unfolding before our eyes. In the near future, we will devote the "Tribulation" tab on our "Trending" menu to this emerging reality. As people continue to unplug from mainstream media, our commitment is to present the truth and encourage our audience to understand current events from a Biblical perspective. Click here to begin the journey.
The Watchman
In the Bible, the Watchman is responsible for keeping watch and warning others of potential danger or impending judgment. The role is mentioned several times in the Old Testament, particularly in the book of Ezekiel. In Ezekiel 33:6, God says to the prophet Ezekiel, "But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, so that the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any one of them, that person is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at the watchman's hand." Click here to begin the journey.
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