Month: November 2024

[Jesus said] “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. . . What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’”
Mark 13:32,33,37

The End Will Come

Daily Devotion – November 30, 2024

Devotion based on Mark 13:32,33,37


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In the 2nd Century, a self-proclaimed prophet by the name of Montanus taught that the end of the world was close at hand. In 1499, a German mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, and professor claimed that a deluge would bring about the end in 1524. In the early 19th Century, a 60-year-old woman named Joanna Southcott claimed she was pregnant with the next Christ and would give birth to him on Christmas of 1814. She claimed the second coming would follow soon after.

With all these false and failed prophecies, we might wonder if the end is really coming. The first disciples had their own reasons for wondering, but Jesus proclaimed the truth to them. The end will come; the Lord will return. The fact that we don’t know exactly when doesn’t make it any less certain.

So, what should we do? Instead of wondering and worrying about the day and the hour, Jesus tells us to keep watch. We keep watch by fixing our eyes on Jesus, repenting of our sins, and finding forgiveness in his precious sacrifice on the cross. We can keep watch by clinging to God’s Word and promises. We can be ready by faithfully carrying out the tasks that God has given us and joyfully looking forward to our Lord’s return because he has promised to take all of his followers to be with him forever.

Prayer:
Dear Jesus, we do not know the day or the hour of your return. Give us faith that is fixed on you as our Savior and make us always ready for your coming. Help us to live each day with the confidence of your love and mercy and to faithfully go about our daily tasks as we joyfully await your return. Amen.

[Jesus said] “If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping.”
Mark 13:36

Sleeping

Daily Devotion – November 29, 2024

Devotion based on Mark 13:36


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Jay Leno is one of the most successful comedians of all time. When he was first starting, however, his finances were tight. To save money he would find various places to sleep at night. When he could not stay at a friend’s place or in some back room of a comedy club, he would sometimes find a home for sale that was having an Open House, greet the realtor and look through the house. Then, when the realtor was elsewhere, Leno would loudly say, “I’m going now. Goodbye!” He’d slam the door, then hide in a closet until the realtor left for the day. He got by with this ruse until one realtor came early the next morning and found him asleep in a bedroom. Beet red with embarrassment, he ran out as fast as he could.

To be asleep in a highly inappropriate place or at a highly inappropriate time is the kind of cringe-worthy moment the Lord Jesus uses to focus our attention on our relationship with him. More than anyone, Jesus knows that, in this broken world full of temptations and distractions, all kinds of things can make us spiritually sleepy—inattentive and careless.

This is dangerous because, little by little, the distractions and temptations of this world can ease us into no longer fixing our eyes on Jesus. Instead, we allow our sleepy eyes to fill with other images—our work, hobbies, social life, popularity, recreation, children, grandchildren, retirement plan, and health. Please understand that these are all wonderful blessings from God. But when any one of these displaces our focus on our only Savior, then we have fallen asleep, and we are in a dark and lethal place.

Thank the Lord that he pursues us. In love, he rouses us from our slumber, calls us to repentance, and refreshes us in sweet assurance of his full forgiveness purchased at Calvary’s cross. And it is that very refreshment of forgiveness that empowers us to be alert once again.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, when I grow sleepy, awaken me. In your gospel, refresh me once again. Amen.

Snatch others from the fire and save them.
Jude 1:23

Rescuer

Daily Devotion – November 28, 2024

Devotion based on Jude 1:23


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Many television historians consider a series from the 1970s one of the most influential series ever made. The name of the series was, Emergency!

The series follows two Los Angeles firefighters who are part of a new, cutting-edge program. They have received special training in how to administer life-saving medical treatment at the scene before an ambulance even takes the patient to the hospital. The name of these new, specially trained firefighters? Paramedics.

The impact of the show was massive. Not only was it a ratings success; but it also caused fire departments and hospitals across the country to develop their own paramedics program.

And the show, Emergency!, did one more thing. Generations of firefighters have said they became firefighters because they watched this show that rescued people from fire and saved their lives.

To rescue individuals from a fire and saving them from certain death. Few scenes are more compelling or riveting than that.

The Bible uses this picture to communicate to us the urgency of sharing the truth of Jesus.

So serious is our sin, and poisonous is its evil that it separates us from God and his goodness. And when separated from God, there is just one alternative: The outer darkness of eternal death–the fires of hell.

Snatch others from the fire, the Bible says. The only rescue from this fire is the One who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. It’s why Jesus came and took the incomprehensible step of becoming a human being. All this he did so he could remove the toxic poison of our sin at the cross. All this he did so he could blanket us with the holiness of the perfect life he lived on our behalf.

He alone spares us from the fire. He alone brings us into the forgiveness, security, peace and joy of God’s presence. And when we share him with others, his Spirit is at work to do the same for them.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, through your gospel you have made me a rescuer. Move me to remember this. Amen.

But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith.
Jude 1:20

Breastworks

Daily Devotion – November 27, 2024

Devotion based on Jude 1:20


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“Pop” Greene had a big problem. The Civil War battle of Gettysburg was getting underway. His commanding officer had just ordered him to defend a key hill that the enemy troops would soon attack. The problem was that Pop did not know if he had enough men to do the job. As a result, Pop Greene made a key decision. He decided to do what his commanding officer thought was not worth the time or effort and decided to build breastworks.

He ordered his men to chop down trees. From these trees, they built solid, protective barriers behind which to stand. The men kept at it, doing all they could to transform their hill into a fortress. Then, the enemy troops attacked. By comparison, Pop’s men were small in number. But so strong were the breastworks that Pop Greene’s modest unit was able to hold the hill. If they hadn’t, the Battle of Gettysburg—and the history of the United States—may have turned out very differently.

Enemy troops are gathered to attack you and me as well. Satan and his demons are coordinating with the temptations of this fallen world and our old sinful selves. Their next attack is not a question of “if.” It’s simply a question of “when.”

However, between now and the next attack, you and I have something extraordinary at our disposal. We have the living, enduring Word of God. We have the good news of what Jesus Christ has done to make us his own—to live a perfect life in our place, to suffer and die at Calvary’s cross for our sins.

With all this at hand, spiritual breastworks are built—breastworks of faith, truth, and solid certainty in the promises of our Savior. When you and I roll up our sleeves and grow in the Word of our Lord, his Holy Spirit builds us up. He constructs a spiritual fortress behind which you and I stand. Then, when the enemies attack, they will not prevail.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, build me up in your Word. Build me up in your gospel. For victory is in you alone. Amen.

The earth will wear out like a garment and its inhabitants die like flies. But my salvation will last forever.
Isaiah 51:6

Like Flies

Daily Devotion – November 26 ,2024

Devotion based on Isaiah 51:6


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Care for a few factoids about common flies? Here goes…

#1. A common housefly can lay 500 eggs every 3–4 days.
#2. Flies taste with their feet.
#3. Flies do not chew. Instead, they excrete an enzyme that liquefies their food so they can drink it.
#4. Flies are vital for breaking down carcasses and turning them into fertilizer for our soil.
#5. Forensic investigators often depend on the predictable work of flies to determine the time of death at crime scenes.
#6. Thank the fly for your chocolate, for it is flies that pollinate the cocoa tree.
And a 7th and final factoid about flies? The average lifespan of a common fly is twenty-eight days.

Twenty-eight days. That’s less than a month. If one were looking for a creature that symbolizes the shortness of life in this fallen world, it would be hard to find one better than the common fly.

It’s no accident, therefore, that the Lord, through the prophet Isaiah, used the lifespan of flies to emphasize that our time on this earth is short. Everything that’s part of this world—everything we buy, drive, wear, collect, and pursue for amusement—breaks, wears out, and dies, including you and me.

Thankfully, Jesus entered this broken, temporary, sin-filled world and confronted the very thing that makes you and me pass away like flies. He confronted our sin. As our substitute, Jesus fulfilled the standards of sinlessness that a holy, eternal God demands. On our behalf, he endured the horror of eternal death on the cross to wash away our every sinful stain. Then, to assure us that eternal life is ours through faith in him, he raised himself back to life.

The result? The next time a common fly lands on your sleeve, remember all the things that are so temporary in this life. But Jesus is not. His promises are not. And now, in him, you and I are not either.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, you are eternal. This sinful world is not. Move me to remain in you. Amen.

My salvation is on the way.
Isaiah 51:5

On the Way

Daily Devotion – November 25, 2024

Devotion based on Isaiah 51:5


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During World War I, Eddie Rickenbacker received a Congressional Medal of Honor for his prowess as a fighter pilot. Years later, during World War II, Eddie received a request to monitor military operations in the Pacific as a civilian observer. He and six others climbed aboard a B-17 for what should have been a routine trip. However, all sense of routine in this mission vanished when the plane went down. Suddenly, seven men were huddled in life rafts in the middle of the ocean.

As the days passed into weeks, their prospects went from hopeful, to serious, to critical, to desperate. Finally, on day twenty-one, they heard a sound. As Rickenbacker looked up, he saw a U.S. Navy plane flying overhead. It came in close—so close that he could see the pilot smiling at them and waving. From that moment on, they knew everything would be all right. Help was on the way.

Perhaps you have had periods in your life when you feel as though you were drifting on an empty ocean. Perhaps you are in such a period right now. At such times, you can feel hopeless, anxious, desperate, confused, and alone.

Sin can do that—your sin and mine. It isolates us from God and others. It smothers us in grief and regret. It surrounds us in unease and fear. It puts us in a dark void where the devil can convince us that we are all alone.

But that’s why Jesus came. He came to rescue us from our ocean of desperation. On our behalf, he lived the life of perfect faithfulness you and I have failed to live. In our place, he washed us clean of our every sinful failure through his suffering and death on the cross. Then he rose from the dead and walked out of his tomb.

For that reason, you have something far more certain than a smiling, waving Navy pilot. You have the cross and an empty tomb. And now, through his Word, your Savior assures you that he is on the way. He surrounds you in his grace. He is guiding all things for your good.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, because of you, I know your deliverance is on the way. Thank you. Amen.

[Jesus said] “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come.”
Mark 13:32,33

Surprise

Daily Devotion – November 24, 2024

Devotion based on Mark 13:32,33


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Surprises break the monotony of the mundane. Surprises often please us. If our experience with surprises has been good in the past, we most likely look forward to having more of them. Of course, there are no surprises for God. He knows all things before they happen. He even knows when the end of the world will take place.

But while God is never surprised, he has given us reason to be, and pleasantly so. When our first parents—Adam and Eve—sinned, they broke the bond of a loving, trusting relationship with God. That brought physical death into the world. The result was eternal separation from God. But surprise! Instead of condemning them to hell, God immediately told Adam and Eve that he would send a savior to reestablish that relationship with himself.

Again, we’re surprised by the way Jesus came to this earth—as a lowly, humble human being. (Yes, he’s truly God, but he is also truly human.) Jesus kept God’s laws, the laws that we have broken. He was perfect! So, we’re again surprised when we see that Jesus had to suffer and die. Why did he do so? Because he was taking our sins on himself and paying the full price for them. So, through Jesus, our relationship to God has been repaired. And really, that is no surprise; it fulfills what God told Adam and Eve.

So, there will be no real surprises when Jesus returns. He’ll come back and take his believers to live forever with him. We do not need to worry about that whatsoever. The only unknown is when it will take place. That is God’s final and wonderful surprise.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, thank you that because of what you have done to save me from my sins I do not need to fear the day this world comes to an end. Help me to be ready for that day, whenever it may come. Amen.

[Jesus said] “Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live.”
John 5:25

Power Over Death

Daily Devotion – November 23, 2024

Devotion based on John 5:25


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We all know what dead is. Dead is powerless and permanent. When someone or something has died, there is no coming back from it. The chances of recovery are now gone. The best veterinarian in the world cannot do anything for a dog that has been tragically killed by a car. The best doctors cannot dig up a grave and revive its occupant.

Since death is so severe and so permanent, it is terrifying. But then there is Jesus. The almighty Son of God has power even over death. He showed that power several times during his earthly ministry by restoring life to someone who had died. He proved it beyond any doubt by rising from the grave himself.

Jesus’ power over death is for you. He said, “Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live.” Jesus has the power to give you life right now. In fact, his power is so great that it comes simply through his voice.

The voice of Jesus is heard in the Bible. It is here that you hear the life-giving fact that your sins have been removed forever—washed away by the blood of God’s own Son.

We need to hear that life-giving voice because nothing kills like guilt does. Our mistakes haunt us because we know that we can never go back and undo what we have done. Try as we might, we are still powerless to remove those black marks from our record and make ourselves right with God.

Jesus is not powerless. He paid the price to remove your sin and guilt. And now, through his Word, he gives you the life-giving message that because of what he has done, you are right with God.

Listen to his voice and live.

Prayer:
Jesus, my Savior, you alone have the power to give me life. Open my ears so that I may hear your voice in your Word. Touch my heart that I may trust it and live. Amen.