Previous Service
Welcome
“The Lord is our example, even leaving the crowds and going on His own to a quiet place to be with His Father. He only did what the Father asked of Him and always kept His focus on Him.”
Stella
Worship
Word
The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert … so that you may pray.
1 Peter 4:7
What if we could say for definite [which we can’t] that Jesus was coming back in the next twenty years! Would this make any difference to the way we live today? Probably not! Twenty years is a long time. What if it was five years? Again, very little difference. What if this time next year, Maybe some difference. What if it was this time next week? Yes, I think this would. What difference would it make? I’d like to think I would spend all my waking hours proclaiming the Good-News to all and sundry; exhorting people to get right with God; warning them that the Day of Judgment was fast approaching.
Interestingly Peter, who was led by the Spirit (2 Peter 1:20-21; 2 Timothy 3:16-17) to write these words, included them under what the NIV has headed, “Living for God.” In other words this should be part of our daily walk with the Lord, to believe that His coming is imminent. They are combined with other exhortations such as,
Live the rest of your earthly lives for the will of God.
1 Peter 4:2
Love each other deeply from the heart … love covers a multitude of sins.
1 Peter 4:8
Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.
1 Peter 4:9
Use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace.
1 Peter 4:10
Whenever you speak do so as one who speaks the very words of God.
1 Peter 4:11
Serve with the strength God provides.
1 Peter 4:11
Right there in the middle of all these exhortations to live as Christians is our text: “The end of all things is near. Therefore, be alert and of sober mind.” And why specifically should we be alert and of sober mind? “… so that we can pray! Again, we are brought back to the vital importance of prayer in these days we live in. Just prior to the end of the Lord’s life and ministry here on earth, He exhorted the disciples to pray. Pray was all Jesus could do at that particular time which He referred to as ‘the hour when darkness reigns’ (Luke 22:53).
Jesus got through this hour when darkness reigned, doing the will of God at every turn, precisely because He prayed (Luke 22:39-46).The disciples fell asleep (Lk. 22:46), however, and they didn’t get through it; they weren’t able to say like Jesus could at the end of it, ‘I have done Your will my God!’ (cf. Heb. 10:7). As a result they were ill-prepared for what was coming and were found wanting, including denying, betraying, and deserting Him, and of hiding behind locked doors for fear of the Jews. I cannot emphasise enough how vitally important prayer is in these last days we live in. Se let’s get our diaries out and put in as a priority each day, quality time to pray, Amen.
Quote of the week
“Is prayer your steering wheel, or your spare tyre?”
Corrie ten Boom
Verse of the week
Pray in the Holy Spirit.
Jude 20
Let’s Pray
Gracious, loving, heavenly Father, we acknowledge our unfaithfulness in prayer, of not spending quality time with You each day. We ask for Your help, Your inspiration, for more of Your Holy Spirit, to become people of true prayer and worship; people who pray in the Spirit in these day we live in, for Your glory, in and through Jesus Christ, our Lord, Amen.