Victorious Living!

1 Thessalonians 5:2 For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. 3 For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. 4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. 5 You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. 6 Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. 8 But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. 9 For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.

The 2nd coming of Christ will catch the world by surprise. The bible warns us not to be deceived by the false cries of safety for it is the calm before the end. As children of God, we do not fear. As sons and daughters of the Light, let us not slumber. Instead, we are to:

1. be watchful and sober;
2. put on the breastplate of faith and love; and
3. guard our minds with the knowledge of God's salvation through Christ.
4. be expectant of the glorious end after which we would have fellowship with the Trinity for eternity!

This is the guarantee of God to those who love and diligently seek Him.

By generalising the context of this verses for daily living, there are 3 basic principles (3 A's) we can apply to our lives right away:

1. Be ALERT!
Do not fall into complacency in anything you do. Be sensitive to undercurrents so as to be responsive when issues surface (reminder: 11 characteristics of the new S.I.N.G.A.P.O.R.E.A.N.).

2. Be ARMED!
We do not wrestle against flesh and blood but principalities and powers. Our primary protection is the armour of God (Eph 6:10-18).

3. Be ASSURED! (and ASTOUNDED!)
Expect a resounding outcome! God will always show up for His namesake to bring light into the situation. We just need to stay close to Him and listen for the guidance of the Holy Spirit through the path, however winding.