Mark 13 Be Alert!

I don’t know about you, but daily my phone rings, not with calls from a friend but calls that my phone notes as scam alerts. That is why in today’s cyber world, we are cautioned by veteran spies to be ever alert to the scams that come across in emails, texts, etc. Just as in the time of Jesus, we must be attentive, observant, on guard, and vigilant. Jesus wanted the disciples to know that their time of discipling with Him would soon come to a screeching halt. All of life would then become a world in which they must be on guard against those who would claim to be Messiah but are false. Today we live in a world that moves at “warp speed” with our texts, Twitter, and Facebook posts. Our phones rarely ring, but they send us alerts to scams, alerts to a missing person, and unknown phone numbers! Thus Jesus’ warning to “be alert” comes at a precipitous moment.

But how do you stay alert all the time?

We do it by asking God for wisdom. “But if anyone is deficient in wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without reprimand, and it will be given to him.” [James 1:5] In addition, we must know the signs of his return even though we recognize that only the Father knows the “when.” Therefore, as we wait, be prepared lest He comes and find us not involved in the task He has left us to go and tell the gospel message.