There has been a burglar reported to be stalking your neighborhood.
Homes around you have been burglarized early Tuesday morning. At around 4:50 a.m., two unknown men smashed open a window to break into homes around your neighborhood. Police said, “They fled the scene with valuable merchandise and even took a few lives after being confronted. The suspects were seen driving a black Dodge pickup truck. Fire crews initially responded to a call claiming there was a car at the house, but found no vehicle there when they arrived at the location. According to Police, these burglars will strike again and are considered armed and dangerous.
Now imagine if you heard this…
Picture it even…
You are at risk, your family is at risk…
Luke 12:39, “Understand this: if a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would not permit his house to be broken into.”
If you knew that someone was going to break into your home and harm you or your family you would do anything to stop it. Furthermore if you knew the time and place that the burglar was going to do it you would have the police waiting so no one else would have to go through the same thing.
So, How many of us in our everyday lives get this part wrong?
We as Christians are the temple of the Holy Spirit, so we are the home and also the person living in that home. So how come we so often let the burglar right in the front door?
WE OFTEN KNOW WHEN HE IS COMING…
WHEN WE ARE ALONE WITH OUR COMPUTER AND NO ONE IS HOME (PORNOGRAPHY)
WHEN WE GET MAD AT SOMEONE FOR GETTING SOMETHING WE THINK WE DESERVE (GREED)
WHEN WE LET OUR TEMPERS GET THE BEST OF US (ANGER)
Oftentimes we know the exact moment that the burglar is going to try to break in and instead of being a good homeowner and making sure that he does not get in, we just invite him in to steal our valuable “Peace that surpasses all understanding” that God gives us.
If someone breaks into our actual home we would do everything in our power to stop them but when Satan comes knocking with sin we let them right in… We would not be afraid to defend our lives if someone was threatening them but our souls we let go of for any number of physical pleasures.
“Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” Matthew 10:28
We need not fear losing our lives but losing our souls… Now we do not serve a vindictive God but you better believe He is just…
Luke 12:47, “And a servant who knows what the master wants, but is not prepared and does not carry out those instructions will be severely punished.”
Key words come into play here,
“Know what the master wants”
“Prepare”
“Instructions”
“Punish”
This verse tells us how to start stopping the thief before he comes into your home.
Know what the Master (God) wants, and how do you do that by preparing yourself reading Gods instruction manual the BIBLE: B- Basic,
I- Instruction, B- Before, L- Leaving, E- Earth.
What does the Bible say? That is how we know what Jesus the Master wants from us, and I will tell you one of them is to have a relationship with you through prayer.
And finally, the one we hate: “Punishment”
We all hate to be punished, but a good parent punishes their children; not to harm them, but to help them get back on the right path. I bet all you parents out there only want the best for your children and so does God. So when you get punished, remember it is out of LOVE that we have the chance through God’s GRACE to do it better next time.
SO IN THE END I PRAY THAT YOU WILL BE BETTER PREPARED FOR THE BURGLAR THE NEXT TIME HE COMES PEEPING IN YOUR WINDOW.
Dr. William A. Horton 