30th Mar 26 | 13:54
Studies by Book
Luke 21 10-19 WATCH AND PRAY II 10 Luke 21 18 Grieving with hope
📖 Luke 21:10-19
20May2021 - *Grieving with hope* - _Luke 21:10-19_ - WATCH AND PRAY II (10) – Bible reading: _II Corinthians 5:1-5_
We are conscious that there will be persecution, when we take the name of Jesus and place our identity with Jesus. The world will be angry with us and will want to do away with us.
Though this is how the world will be towards us, we will not be hesitant or apologetic but in meekness and boldness we will lift up the name of Jesus. We pray for His empowerment on us at this time, to be witnesses to the name of Jesus.
Friends, in a time such as what we are passing through the distinct call that the Lord has given for us is to *watch and pray*. We look at prophesy of the end times in the Bible and then we look at current events. We are drawn to make interpretations, calculations, postulate sequence of events and timelines.
The Lord is calling us to simply ‘watch’. Watch what is happening in our world and look at them from the perspective of God. How His heart is in pain and at the same time longing for humanity to repent, return and be restored with Him.
Along with watching we must pray. Pray from the heart of God. How does God see what is happening to the world, for which He is the beginning, the source? He entrusted what began with Him, into our care and responsibility, to administer and rule but what have we done to His creation? This ought to be our line of prayer – being one with the pain of God’s heart, identifying ourselves with creation that has rejected God, crying and repenting before God.
_Luke 21:18 But not a hair of your head shall be lost. Matthew 10:30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered._
When we have our habitat in Jesus then we know that He is watching over us now, in this world.
His watching over us does not mean that we will not get infected by the virus. He does protect some of us but some of us do get infected. If we do get infected the Lord does heal many of us but it does not mean that all will be healed. Some of us, the Lord may call to cross over, to be with Him.
Whatever may be our situation, we can be assured of the fact that we are in the habitat of God. This habitation in God is an eternal habitation. We are alive in Christ, though our body may or may not survive the infection.
God is seeing us from the perspective of eternity. A glorious body has been prepared for those of us, who have died, buried and risen with Jesus.
In *the understanding of our eternal body, not a hair will be lost*. The eternal body which we will receive is physical but of a totally different substance. It is the same body that Jesus had when He rose from the dead.
A body with which He ate food, spoke with His disciples, moved through walls, had nail prints and was recognised but not instantly. This is our eternal body with which we will be in the presence of God.
While we are here for a short time on earth, we have temporary body, a temporary habitation, which we must look after so that we can serve the Lord effectively till the very end of our short existence here. Nevertheless, the assurance for us is about the eternal habitation, which we have been guaranteed and nothing can diminish that eternal body.
_II Corinthians 5:1-5 For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, *we have a building from God*, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. (2) For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven, (3) if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked. (4) For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life. (5) Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, *who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee*._
We are therefore precious in the eyes of God.
_Psalm 17:7-8 Show Your marvellous lovingkindness by Your right hand, O You who save those who trust in You From those who rise up against them. (8) *Keep me as the apple of Your eye*; Hide me under the shadow of Your wings, Isaiah 62:3 You shall also be a crown of glory In the hand of the LORD, And *a royal diadem In the hand of your God*._
We are precious to the Lord, whether we live or whether we die. When we have come to Jesus, we have life, eternal life.
_I John 5:11-12 And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. (12) He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life._
We must always see ourselves from the perspective of God and there be encouraged. This is how we counsel and encourage one another in the body of Christ, as we go through these difficult times.
Though we grieve over our loved ones and those around us, who are in sorrow at this time, *we grieve with hope*. Grief is real and we must grieve but we grieve with hope.
*Thought to ponder*
```We live with an eternity perspective in a temporary world.```