Watch

Good Afternoon,
 
"I Say...unto All, Watch"  Mark 13:37

What Christ, the Head of the church(Eph. 5:23-24), says should mean everything to us!  His often repeated command is to  "Watch."  To watch means, in the original, "to be alert"; "to be aroused", "to be awake."  In this hour of His Coming He has shown us in pointed warnings that the only way to escape the trouble coming upon the whole earth-is to "watch and pray always" )  Matt. 24:42, 25:13; Mark 13:35; Luke 21:34-36;  1 Thes. 5:6; 1 Per. 4:7; Rev. 3:2; 16:15).
 
Again the Lord says, "Strive to enter in..for many ..will seek to enter in, and shall not be able"  (Luke 13:24).   The Greek rendering of "strive" is "agonize"- agonize to enter in.  Paul, seeking to win Christ as the Bridegroom said,  "I  press"  toward the mark (Phil. 3:7-14).
 
If we are told that many times in the New Testament to watch and pray, we had better be alert, aroused, and awake.  Jesus has also said strive, or agonize to enter in.   If the Apostle had to press, we must.  I cannot believe this way to heaven is like a cruise up a lazy river in the noonday sun.
 
His blessings will flow as we remain alert, aroused, awake; even agonizing, and pressing toward that mark set before us.  And all the while we will know that we are loved!!!
 
Henry