“But be on your guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day close down upon you suddenly like a trap. 35 For it will overtake all who live on the face of the whole earth. 36 But stay alert at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that must happen, and to stand before the Son of Man.”
Luke 21:34-36 NET
I work ahead on the study so that I can have it posted first thing of the morning – so when today (Thursday) became a day of bumps and bruises in my own life and heartache for a local family and school who lost a son and a classmate in a tragic accident – I knew my mind was not going to be able to focus on the passage well enough to write out my thoughts to share. However, as I looked over the few notes I had jotted down in the margin, this one phrase jumped out at me:
Don’t get caught up or weighed down by the cares of this life
Such a fitting message for me today – and everyday. A message that reminds me that those who trust in God, those who keep their thoughts fixed on Him will know His perfect peace. It’s a message that encourages me to keep hoping in the promise of eternity. So imagine my delight when I turned the page in my journal and found the following devotion by a member of the LGG Team. I share it in lieu of my own comments/devotion. Please check it out at the link below.
Day 3, Week 5 of Come, Lord Jesus, Come (A Love God Greatly Study) – STAY ALERT
Scripture Reading: Matthew 24 (SOAP – Matthew 24:42-44)
“Therefore stay alert, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. 43 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have been alert and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 Therefore you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.
Matthew 24:42-44
Observation
I realize that our observations are all beginning to sound alike, “Stay alert”, “Be ready”, “He’s coming soon”, “He will come when we least expect it”, … which may make it tempting to skip over the repetitious passages or perhaps even look to see if I accidentally repeated a lesson (trust me, I looked this morning, just to make sure I wasn’t repeating one – lol). The fact of the matter is that Scripture repeats itself, in part because the Gospel writers tended to share similar events but in large part because God is making a point that is vitally important for us to hear and not forget. So as tempting as it is to skip over this long passage from Matthew, I encourage you to read it through from beginning to end. Soak in the details and take note of the warning to be found living in a way that the Master finds pleasing.
Application: So What Does This Mean For Us?
My take away observations from today are also my application or what this passage means for us …
The repeated phrase to – “Stay Alert”
Jesus will come when we DO NOT EXPECT HIM!
So – We must live as though He could return today!
And, just like Jesus and His disciples did, share the message with others so that they will also be prepared.
Prayer: Response to God’s Word
Father, the end times can seem both exciting and daunting. They can leave us wondering and wishing we knew when. Help us simply to keep our eyes on You and to carry out the mission that You gave to all of Your disciples – to take the Gospel, the story about Jesus’ life, death, resurrection, and impending return to all the world. May we be the faithful and wise slave described in the passage today so that we do not have to shrink back in fear – but rejoice in Your good pleasure when You see that the thief did not break in and steal.
Reflection: Your Turn
What are some ways you are currently living on mission for our Lord while you wait for His return?
And now, little children, remain in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink away from him in shame when he comes back.
1 John 2:28 NET
Observations
As believers, those who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ, we are to be faithfully living as His followers. For John explains when our faith is proven genuine we will be able to stand before Jesus in confidence and not shame when He returns. For as Paul told the believers in Rome, “there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are ‘in‘ Christ Jesus.” And, as John goes on to say, in today’s passage, we have been clothed in His righteousness and are being purified (sanctified) to be like Him.
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Romans 8:1 NET
Application: So What Does This Mean For Us?
If we have placed our faith in Jesus, we must not treat it as simply a “stay out of hell” card, but we are to “abide in” Him, meaning we are to faithfully follow in or imitate His ways. We are to live and love like Jesus. Jesus set these parameters when He told the believers that they were to love others just has He had loved them, John 13:34. This standard of living is also set by Paul in both deed and word throughout the New Testament – Col 3:1-17; Gal 2:20; Phil 2:1-11; 1 Cor 11:1; 2 Cor 5:17; Eph. 4:22-24 and 5:1-2 to name a few. However, John says it the clearest of all in 1 John 2:6, when he said, “Whoever claims to live in [Jesus] must live as Jesus did.”
If we read through the rest of today’s passage we see this explained a little more when John mentions practicing righteousness (2:29), which is to say – practice the ways of Jesus, for apart from Him no one is righteous – not even one of us.
“There is no one righteous, not even one, 11 there is no one who understands, there is no one who seeks God. 12 All have turned away, together they have become worthless; there is no one who shows kindness, not even one.”
Romans 3:10-12 NET
Prayer: Response To God’s Word
Father, help us to faithfully abide in Christ so that when He returns we will not shrink away in shame but stand in the confidence of His work on the cross for us. For You have promised that there is now no condemnation for those who have placed their faith in Him. Help us to imitate Him more and more so that others will see Him in us and You will be glorified. In His Name I pray – and trust – amen and amen!
vs. 32 [But as for that day]: The time of Jesus’ return is going to come but only the Father knows when.
vs. 33 [Watch out! Stay alert!] Jesus is warning that there is not time for a leisurely faith. Paul says, “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:15–16). Like the faithful servants (Mark 13:34–36) or the bridal party waiting for the groom (Matthew 25:1–13), we can’t treat Jesus’ delay as permission to act ungodly (Matthew 24:48–51). (Bibleref.com on Mark 13:33)
vs. 35-36 [Stay alert … or else he might find you asleep when he returns]
“Jesus doesn’t just want His followers in the tribulation to be aware, He wants them to use that awareness to stay alive. During the tribulation, many, many Christ-followers will be hunted and killed by the Antichrist (Revelation 13:7; 17:6). But Jesus explains that they should still try to survive. In fact, they should pray for favorable conditions (Mark 13:18). He tells them to be aware of false teachers (Mark 13:5), run from impending violence (Mark 13:14), and keep a clear head (Mark 13:35). He also promises that the tribulation will not last long. If the tribulation saints can remember Jesus’ words, they will have a better chance of being “awake” when He returns.”
vs. 37 [to everyone] This conversation started with Peter, James, John, and Andrew privately asking Jesus a question on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple. They said, “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled?” Jesus said to them: “Watch out that no one deceives you” (Mark 13:3-5). Now, here in verse 37 Jesus is clarifying that His message to the four disciples, particularly about staying alert, was meant for everyone.
Application: So What Does This Mean For Us?
We are to be alert – awake to what is being said and what (prophecy) has been given – so that we don’t fall prey to false prophets of our day. This is not to say that we should be obsessed with the “end times” but simply alert to the messages and the events we here and see. Our efforts must not be in figuring out the day or hour but with sharing the message of the cross and the promise of eternity.
Prayer: Our Response to The Word
Father – the end times are a mystery. Clearly we are not meant to know the day or the hour of “that day” – but, we wait believing that it will come. Help us to be ready and to help others be ready by being alert to those around us who need the hope that is ours in Christ Jesus. I pray all of this in Jesus’ name and power and for Your glory! – Amen!
Now during the blessing he departed and was taken up into heaven.
Luke 24:51 NET
OBSERVATIONS
From Elijah’s whirlwind departure to Jesus’ mid-prayer departure, we are definitely journeying through some drama-packed adventures of God’s people. In essence, we are witnesses of these events. As Jesus told the disciples here in Luke, these events were prophesied by Moses and the prophets and the psalms. Through God’s written Word we have seen the Christ child born, and along with the disciples of His day and all those present for the crucifixion we have seen Him suffer and die, we have stood in awe at the empty tomb, and heard the proclamation of repentance for the forgiveness of sins – to every nation and tongue. We have also received the same Spirit that Jesus told the disciples to wait for, without whom we will not be effective witnesses. A quick look at verse 45 (one of my favorite life verses) holds a clue as to why we need the Spirit. Starting in verse 44 we see that He spoke to them and then“He opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.” – Then He continued speaking what He wanted them to hear and know. We need the Spirit because it is the power of Christ in us, with us 24/7. He will do for us what Christ did for the early disciples while He walked with them on earth. He will teach us all things and remind us of everything Jesus said, John 14:26.
SO WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR US?
When we know God and have a familiarity with and understanding of His Word we can be witnesses for Him. When this is true of us we will be more like Jesus, telling others about the Father and about Jesus, who was taken up into Heaven, where He intercedes for us at God’s right hand and from where He will return to gather us to be with Him. It means as Jesus’ followers we are filled with His Spirit, we can know and understand His Word, and we can effectively share It with others. It also means that even though Jesus has not yet returned, we can worship Him with great joy, and praise God together as we wait.
RESPONSE TO GOD’S WORD
Father, help me to be an affective witness. In the power of Your Spirit, to the praise of Your glory – and may I be found worshiping You with great joy.
YOUR TURN: REFLECTIONS
What is one way you an be a witness for Jesus in your life right now?
As they were walking along and talking, suddenly a chariot of fire appeared, drawn by horses of fire. It drove between the two men, separating them, and Elijah was carried by a whirlwind into heaven.
2 Kings 2:11 NET
OBSERVATIONS
Such imagery might be too much for us to imagine but we live in the day of incredible cinematography that allows us to actually see in our mind this scene that Jeremiah paints of Elijah going up to heaven. I suppose some will read the passage and immediately think how outlandish it sounds and question how anyone could believe it. However, for those of us who know God and have experienced His grace and power in our own lives or seen it in the lives of others it is more than believable. Actually considering how He spoke and the world was created or how He raised Christ from the grave after His body lay three days in the tomb, this may seem a bit lack-luster in comparison. Though, nothing is truly lack-luster with God, is it? His works are wonderful, we know it and see it and we watch for the miracles and even the simplest of His fingerprints – and when we see them our faith is energized.
The difference between the modern day cinematography and God’s display of power is that the art form is for accolades and profit while the other is meant to save people from their sins and to prepare them for what they have been called to do. This is the case in 2 Kings, where”God’s awesome display of power fitted Elisha for service – much like Moses at the burning bush.”1 or like the disciples and apostles at Jesus’ ascension, and much like us at the details we are given through God’s living and active Word – literally a jumbotron of His works and unfolding story. The wealth of knowledge, love, and power that He has displayed all around us should fuel us with whole-hearted dedication to serve God faithfully all of our life.
Application: SO WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR US?
Elijah was the lord and master of Elisha. So close were they that when Elisha sees him ascending into Heaven, he calls out, “my father, my father.” Elisha knew that Elijah would be leaving him but something tells me he wasn’t prepared for the way it happened, yet after the event he was clearly prepared for the call of God on his life. Much the same for us, having heard, and seen, and believed in the birth, the life, the death, the resurrection, and ascension of our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ – we have been empowered and are now equipped and called to respond.
Prayer: RESPONSE TO GOD’S WORD
Father, what a miracle working God You are – One of beauty and creativity and power – One of purpose! May our eyes always be open, our ears and hearts alert, and our responses pleasing – flowing from a dedication to serve You faithfully and with purpose! – Energize us by Your Spirit Father – In Jesus’ powerful name – amen!
YOUR TURN: REFLECTIONS
What 3 lessons do we learn from 2 Kings 2:1-18? How can you put these lessons into practice in your life?
“Look, I am coming soon, bringing my reward with me to repay all people according to their deeds. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”
Revelation 22:12-13 NLT
Simple Observations and Findings
“SOON”: While we have covered this word before, I believe it is worth repeating for a fuller understanding or clarification. According to BibleRef.com, the word is from a Greek word that more accurately means “quickly”, and has more to do with ‘how’ He’s coming than ‘when’. His return will be sudden and unpredictable (Matthew 24:36)
“My reward is with me …” My best understanding of this is that Christ comes with the power to reward both the saved and the lost – according to the choices they have made. The lost, those whose deeds reveal their denial of Christ, will receive the “punishment” they deserve, the reward of God’s wrath. The Saved, those who have, by faith alone, trusted in Jesus Christ to save them from their sins, will receive their inheritance of eternal life, the reward of God’s grace.
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. (Romans 1:18)
For it is by grace you have been saved through faith and this is not from yourselves it is the gift of God not by works so that no one can boast.(Ephesians 2:8-9)
“pay each one according to what he has done.” What have you done? Have you chosen Jesus or have you chosen the world? We know that there is evil in our world, but we also see the “fruit of God’s grace in His people” throughout the world as well. Do your “deeds” identify you as one who is evil or do they reveal God’s grace? Whatever they reveal the one path leads to eternal punishment and the other to eternal life.
For all have sinned and fall short of God’s glory. (Romans 3:23)
For the wages of sin is death but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23)
“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” Perhaps this one seems self-evident but I found it helpful to truly observe it and not just take it for the popular phrase that it is.
Jesus has always existed.
He’s eternal, no true beginning and no end.
He was with God in the beginning
He is God
He identifies Himself as the God of the Old Testament (Isa 41:4, 6, Isa 44:6, and 48:12)
He is the finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2; John 1:1, 14; Matthew 5:17; and Ephesians 2:8-9).
Response to God’s Word
Jesus, what a wonder You are! The Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. Not only will You reign forever but you will come back soon and pay each one according to their deeds. Send a revival through our land Father so that the lost will know life rather than the eternal punishment of death. Open their eyes and ears, their hearts and minds to the message so that they might believe and by faith be saved. Cause us to be alert to those around us who need to hear the message so that they might share in the inheritance of eternal life that You have promised to those who believe. We wait on You Jesus, we wait on You. –
Your Turn: Reflections
Knowing that you will one day be rewarded for how you lived your life, are you motivated or concerned? Why?
“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. 2 There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? 3 When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.4 And you know the way to where I am going.”
John 14:1-4 NLT
Distressed
Do you ever let your heart get distressed, which according to the oxford language dictionary, means extreme anxiety, sorrow, or pain? – Before you answer too quickly, let’s look at some other synonyms for the word, such as worried, fearful, troubled, sad, tortured, and miserable. Please note that all of these fit the conversation of our text, where Christ has been talking to His disciples, telling them that one of them would betray Him, Peter would deny Him, and then that He would be leaving them.
Jesus said, “The time has come for the Son of Man to enter into his glory, and God will be glorified because of him. 32 And since God receives glory because of the Son, he will give his own glory to the Son, and he will do so at once. 33 Dear children, I will be with you only a little longer. And as I told the Jewish leaders, you will search for me, but you can’t come where I am going.
John 13; 31-33 NLT
Jesus’ Encouragement
Naturally, their hearts would have experienced at least one of these emotions. He was their friend and teacher whom they undoubtedly, trusted but had also come to depend on. No doubt their hearts would be distressed at the news that He was going away. Without question, fears, sorrow, anxiety, and pain would arise. Given time to dwell on it, their minds would become troubled, even tortured and miserable at the thought of it – and unable to think of anything else. So Jesus, knowing that they would have these emotions but not wanting them to dwell there, speaks out of love and compassion to encourage them. His encouragement is the promise that while they can’t go with Him now, He would be preparing a place for them and would return and take them with Him so they would always be together.
… I am going to prepare a place for you? 3 When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.
John 14:2b-3 NLT
While some of the synonyms and the word itself are defined, in part, as extreme sorrow or pain, I do not believe that Jesus is asking or encouraging them to be happy, but rather, He is calling them to be brave. It would be near to impossible to wear a facade of happiness in the death of one so loved and important to them, but they must rise above all of the emotions and be braveenough to continue on in His mission. I dare say without this encouragement (repeated until they finally understood it), they would have wallowed in depression rather than bravely pressing on as He called them to. Easier said than done? Without question! However, don’t miss that in His opening words of this passage, He gave them the answer to the bravery they would need. “Do not let your hearts be distressed. You believe in God: also believe in me.” In other words, ‘you trust God; therefore you trust me,’ for they knew Him to be “God.” John made this clear in his unforgettable statement in the first verse of His gospel, which reads: “In the beginning the Word already existed! The Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Their bravery, and ours, depends on knowing and trusting Jesus as God.
Jesus not only told themhow they could be brave but just after telling them He was leaving them, He explainedwhy they needed to be brave with these words, “So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” Jesus had just called them to prove to or show the world that they were His disciples. Why? Because it would prove that they knew Him, which means they knew the way to the Father – which was the mission, showing the world the “WAY” to the Father.
“So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”
John 13:34-35 NLT
What This Means For Us
As believers, we are Jesus’ disciples waiting for His return. Therefore, we are called to the same bravery and should, despite these tumultuous times in which we live, not let our hearts be distressed – overcome with fears and anxiety or the torture and distraction that can come from waiting on Him. Instead, we should bravely press forward to carry out His Mission to make the Father. and the “Way” to the Father, known. For, to quote the words of Paul, “But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?” Romans 10:14
What do we know that we can share?
We know the WAY.
We know the love of Jesus and that it is meant to be imitated so that others will know Him too.
We know that He died, rose from the grave, lives with God in Heaven, and WILL COME AGAIN!
We know that when He returns, He will take believers to be with Him.
We know that we will forever be with Him, where He dwells.
We know that the “wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.“ Romans 6:23
We know that whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. (Joel 2:28)
Response to the Word:
Father, how very good You are to provide Jesus as the payment for the penalty of our sins. How awesome is His encouragement to the disciples that He is coming again and will take us to live with Him, where He dwells with You! We are blessed to be a part of this promise and look forward with HOPE to that day. We take strength from the HOPE in this dark and sinful world, where your Word is trampled on and Your ways mocked and ignored. We long to be with You Both, but we know Your agenda is that all would come to know You and that our agenda is to make You known. May we be found faithfully loving others as Jesus has loved us, proving to the world that we are His disciples and ultimately leading them to You. And in all of this, may You be praised and glorified as we wait on You! – AMEN!
Your Turn: Reflection Question
When Jesus was speaking about returning to Heaven, what did He say He was going to do there?
Today’s Reading: Luke 17:26-37 (SOAP: verses 26-27)
Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man. They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.
Luke 17: 26-27
The Flood Is Coming
When asked by one of the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus’ reply was that – “The Kingdom of God can’t be detected by visible signs. You won’t be able to say, ‘Here it is!’ or ‘It’s over there!’ For the Kingdom of God is already among you.” (Luke 17:20-21 NLT) He continues the conversation with His disciples letting them know that there would false claims of the kingdom’s arrival and warned them not to follow those people. He then makes the comparison to the days of Noah so they would understand that just as the people in Noah’s day were living life as usual and totally caught off guard when the flood came – so it would be when the Son of Man comes.
If you go back and read the story of Noah, you will see that Noah doesn’t just wait for the flood waters to come but he follows the Lord’s instructions and he makes ready for the flood.
“When everything was ready, the Lord said to Noah, “Go into the boat with all your family, for among all the people of the earth, I can see that you alone are righteous.”
Genesis 7:1
God’s Call To Us
God called Noah to build an ark and was specific in telling him when it was time to go into the ark as well as who and what to take aboard. God isn’t sending another flood but He is sending His Son for those that are His and He called us to be ready. “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ” is the command and the outcome, like Noah’s, is “[we] will be saved”. He also gave us another command that is not included or even eluded to in the account of Noah – and that is to tell others the good news so that they might believe and be saved, Mark 16:15. Jesus, Himself, set the example as He went about preaching “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near”. Scripture makes it clear that only those covered by the blood of Christ will be saved, and this salvation only happens by grace through faith, Ephesians 2:8-9. It is a gift of God to all who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. Noah received a lot of detailed instructions as to the building of the ark and he completed it and was ready when the waters rose. What about you? Will you be ready when the Son of Man returns? Have you believed in the Lord Jesus Christ? Oh how I hope you have. If you haven’t please message me and let me share His message with You – so that when He returns or when death comes you will find favor in the eyes of the Lord.
Response to God’s Word
Father – rescue the perishing. Thank you for saving me and for the hope of eternity. Use me to tell others the good news so that they will be saved and have the hope of eternity through the blood of Jesus! In whose name I pray – Amen
Me From the Inside Out 