{"id":127,"date":"2025-09-14T06:54:45","date_gmt":"2025-09-14T06:54:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/j423community.com\/j423apps\/?p=127"},"modified":"2025-09-14T06:54:45","modified_gmt":"2025-09-14T06:54:45","slug":"127","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/j423community.com\/j423apps\/uncategorized\/127\/","title":{"rendered":""},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong> Be Watchful<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p>In our <a href=\"http:\/\/j423community.com\/j423apps\/uncategorized\/take-heed-to-yourselves\/\">last lesson<\/a>, we saw that the Lord gave His disciples three key instructions on how to escape the evil of the last days and be able to stand before Him on Judgment Day (John 5:22):<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Take heed to yourself<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Be watchful<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Pray<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Today\u2019s study focuses on the second instruction: <strong>Be Watchful<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Key Text: 1 Peter 5:8\u20139 (ESV)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cBe sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>The Amplified Bible expands this verse:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cBe well balanced (temperate, sober of mind), be vigilant and cautious at all times; for that enemy of yours, the devil, roams around like a lion roaring [in fierce hunger], seeking someone to seize upon and devour.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What Does It Mean to Be Watchful?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Temperate<\/strong> \u2013 living with self-control and balance.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Sober-minded<\/strong> \u2013 being serious, sensible, and composed.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Vigilant<\/strong> \u2013 keeping careful watch for possible dangers or difficulties.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Why Must We Be Watchful?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Because the devil is on the prowl<\/strong> \u201cThe devil goes around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.\u201d (1 Peter 5:8). Please note the meaning of of &#8220;Prowl&#8221; &#8211; it is a person or animal that move about restlessly and stealthy, especially in search of a prey.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Because of false ministers and deception in the last days<\/strong> \u201cFor such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.\u201d<br>(2 Corinthians 11:13\u201315, NKJV) <br><br>\u201cAnd Jesus answered and said to them: \u2018Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, \u201cI am the Christ,\u201d and will deceive many.\u2019\u201d (Matthew 24:4\u20135, NKJV)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Before we close, let us hear the words of Jesus Himself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201c<strong>Be on your guard [constantly alert],<\/strong> and <strong>watch and pray<\/strong>; for you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man [already] going on a journey; when he leaves home, he puts his servants in charge, each with his particular task, and he gives orders to the doorkeeper to be constantly alert and on the watch. <strong>Therefore watch (give strict attention, be cautious and alert), <\/strong>for you do not know when the Master of the house is coming\u2014in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrowing, or in the morning\u2014 [<strong>Watch, I say<\/strong>] lest He come suddenly and unexpectedly and find you asleep. And what I say to you I say to everybody: <strong>Watch (give strict attention, be cautious, active, and alert)!\u201d<\/strong><br>(Mark 13:33\u201337, AMPC)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p>Do you have a question, concerns, or in need of prayer?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Please send a mail to info@j423community.com<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Be Watchful In our last lesson, we saw that the Lord gave His disciples three key instructions on how to escape the evil of the last days and be able to stand before Him on Judgment Day (John 5:22): Today\u2019s study focuses on the second instruction: Be Watchful. Key Text: 1 Peter 5:8\u20139 (ESV) \u201cBe [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-127","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/j423community.com\/j423apps\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/127","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/j423community.com\/j423apps\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/j423community.com\/j423apps\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/j423community.com\/j423apps\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/j423community.com\/j423apps\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=127"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/j423community.com\/j423apps\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/127\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":128,"href":"https:\/\/j423community.com\/j423apps\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/127\/revisions\/128"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/j423community.com\/j423apps\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=127"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/j423community.com\/j423apps\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=127"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/j423community.com\/j423apps\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=127"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}