Mark 13:32  But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.
33  Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.
34  For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch.
35  Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning:
36  Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.
37  And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.

The nation of Israel has been involved in an intense war with Hamas/Iran/Russia now for the past 6 days. Last Saturday Israel was surprised by a vicious terror attack from Hamas. It has now been learned that Hamas sent “workers” into Israel for well over a year to gain information on the operations of different groups in Israel. They did this while they were “employed” in different positions in Israel. They worked on Kibbutzes and elsewhere. They learned where the guards were and where the vulnerable areas were.
It has also been reported that a day before the attack took place, Israelis saw unusual activity from Hamas in the Gaza strip. Those who observed this did not connect the dots and they assumed it was more practice for something down the road.
On the day of the attack, the terrorists were able shoot out the cameras and kill the soldiers at the outposts. They were able to breech the wall separating Gaza from Israel. They also had hang gliders to fly into Israel. Apparently some 2,000 terrorists entered Israel through various means on that day.
To its shame, a large group of Israelis had gathered for an ungodly party that was designed to please the devil, but not God. This was on the last day of the “Feast of Tabernacles”. This feast was designed by God to give the nation of Israel the opportunity to remember His blessings during their wilderness wanderings.
A large number of those who attended that party were killed by the terrorists and others were captured and taken hostage. Some of the young women were abused and then killed. Others were paraded through the streets of Gaza as trophies of their invasion.
The actions of Hamas is very similar to the actions of the Philistines and other godless societies of Bible times. Lost humanity can be very cruel.
Israel has decided to retaliate with force. The problem is that Israel does not yet understand that their defiance of the true God is their main problem. God warned Israel centuries ago that if they would not follow Him, they would find life very difficult.
This same warning needs to be understood by all of humanity. Adam was not a Jew. Cain was not a Jew. However, they were both guilty of rejecting God’s will and choosing to listen to lies. Life became difficult for all of humanity as a result of Adam’s sin. Cain became a marked man and his descendants chose to follow his rebellious nature as well.
In our text, we find the word “watch” several times. Jesus was teaching on events that were yet in the future. God has given us much detail regarding the future. There are some particulars that He has kept for Himself. Jesus warned that His return to earth will be sudden and without warning. No one but His Father knew that day and the hour of that day. Jesus had set aside His glory in order to come to this earth. Obviously God knows we do not need to know the day nor the hour of Jesus’ return. What we need is to know the true God. Without knowing Him, life on earth is a disaster and the end is worse.
Jesus stated that we need to take heed, watch and pray. The phrase “take ye heed” speaks of “to perceive with the eyes and with the senses.” It is important to know the Lord in order to be able to understand what is going on.
What just happened in Israel could come to a city near you. The Canadian government is harbouring many terrorists. Since the recent attacks in Israel there have been demonstrations in the streets of several major cities in support of Hamas. The police and governments have done nothing to stop this violence. They were willing to declare the trucker convoy a violent event that needed to be stopped. However, an actual terrorist group is allowed to protest publicly with no problem.
Today, Hamas is calling on people to rise up across the world. We will see what actually happens yet today. It is time for people to wake up and take life much more seriously. Shrugging the shoulders and putting the head in the sand will not fix anything.
Jesus taught the importance of preparing for life. Preparing for life begins with turning to God in repentance and trusting the Lord Jesus Christ alone for salvation. Then it is important to learn the truth and thus guarding against the multiplicity of deception.
We can know the truth if we will accept God’s preserved and inspired Word as our authority. If we do not want to do that, we will be susceptible to the many lies being presented.
Israel was found sleeping when the attacks took place last week. They were too busy fulfilling the lusts of the flesh. They assumed they were safe. All the weapons in the world cannot protect against the wiles of the devil. Faith in the true God is required to know God’s peace and be prepared to live on this earth and be prepared for eternity in heaven.
God wants all to be saved. We all need to be saved. God has been good to us in giving us His Word. It is important to heed His Word. For many years, many have rejected the truth and developed a false idea of truth. Thousands of perverted books, called Bibles, have been published and still are today. Many have purchased these perverted Bibles and have followed false teachers who promote these perversions. This is of far greater consequence than the Hamas invasions of the past week. Building a false philosophy and assuming you are saved is the worst error a person can make. It does not provide for peace now and it leads to an eternity separated from the true God.
There is no opportunity to come back and try again when you make the wrong choice. It is possible to know the truth today. God has given us His Word. He is not willing that any should perish. He has provided all the warnings we need. He has also promised many blessings to those who will repent and be saved.
It is important to learn from the bad choices others make. It would be wise for Israel to learn from the bad choices they have made. Almost 2,000 years ago the Jews cried out “crucify Him, crucify Him.” They cried that against Jesus Christ, the only Messiah. They also wished the judgment of God upon themselves and their children. Israel has suffered much over the years. The sad reality is that they have not yet humbled themselves and turned to the true God. Many Gentiles have been equally stubborn. Thousands have died and gone to an eternity without Christ.
God’s truth is available for all. Trust in the true God and know His peace today! His truth is far more precious than all the enticements of this world. God’s truth will set the captive free. That is the greatest blessing a person can ever know. If you know that blessing today, be prepared to tell some other person about God’s blessings today! That is a very important work that God has given to His children. It is a blessing to be able to give God’s good news to others.
Pastor Bartel