When these things happen: stand up and lift your heads: A message of courage and hope!
A threefold message here:
- The Son of Man will return
- Lift up your heads
- Guard your hearts
The conditions surrounding the return of the Christ – Repetition of things learned!
- The devil’s plot to steal, kill and destroy
- The power of Christ
- The overwhelming glory of Christ dispels the darkness
- The preparation for what is to come since they didn’t understand when he said he would die and rise again.
- The importance of the immediate fulfillment of this prophecy and the long term fulfillment of this prophecy yet to take place
The importance of hope in our lives!
- Hope inspires confidence
- Hope builds courage to conquers our fears
- Hope strengthens our faith in God’s ability and God’s presence in our lives – stand up!
The result:
The necessity of protecting our hearts from the attacks of the enemy – note: there is no time-table and the focus is on moral exhortation
- Protect yourself from falling in the deceitful traps of the devil – cares of the world, lust, abandonment of clarity in obeying God.
- Be alert in prayer – listen to what Father says, grow in your communication with him, your worship of him, and your waiting on him.
- Escape, run from what is a trap.
