'Watch and Say'

     or

     

'WATCH AND PRAY'

There are two kinds of people who call themselves Christian.

The phrase, 'Watch and Say', describes one group.

The phrase, 'WATCH and PRAY', describes the other.

Actually, they are poles apart, for the first group serves the devil,

while the second group serves God.

Here's how Jesus described the 'Watch and Say' bunch:

Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he [satan] who accuses them before our God day and night. 

Satan is the accuser, and he uses the mouths of Christians, as well as unbelievers.

The next verse describes those who 'WATCH and PRAY':

And they overcame him [satan] because of the blood of the Lamb [Jesus Christ] and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.

Those who overcome the world, the flesh and the devil, do so by their faith and trust in their crucified, resurrected Lord. They overcome by His Word and by His Blood. By God's Grace they guard their minds, and guard their mouths. Jesus (Yeshua) is their model in all things. He overcame, and so do those who believe in and trust Him. It is His Life in them, God's Grace, that does the overcoming.

God promised Noah that He would not again

destroy the Earth by water. 

The rainbow was the sign of this covenant. 

Those who pervert God's Word and deny

His glory, His love and His mercy, have stolen the 

symbolic rainbow for their own purposes.

Don't be deceived!

Jesus was once asked how to recognize the true servants of God.

He responded, "You shall know them by their fruits."

What are the fruits of the Holy Spirit, then? Galatians 5 compares the works of the flesh and the fruits of the spirit:

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh

For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.

But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. 

Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality,

idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions,

envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 

Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.

Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another.

LOVE is identified and described in 1 Corinthians, chapter 13.

"Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly, it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 

bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away.

For we know in part and we prophesy in part; but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away . . .

But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love."

By way of comparison, we should keep in mind Apostle Paul's charge to his spiritual son, Timothy -- 

2 Timothy 2:21-3:5  (NASB)

"Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.

Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. 

But refuse foolish and ignorant speculations, knowing that they produce quarrels.

The Lord's bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged,

with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth,

and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.

3 But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy,

unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good,

treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,

holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these."

  So, there it is. The comparisons above make it clear.   

  May we never again allow the enemy to deceive us!  

  As Jesus said, "You shall know them by their fruits."