Lent - Day 38 - Keep Watch

Lent Devotions from Concordia University 2025
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Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour. 

    For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money. 

   Now after a long time, the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’ But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming, I should have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'

Matthew 25:1-30

Jesus continues to speak of His second coming, now through the telling of parables. The message for all who follow Christ is the same. Christ will return. That is certain. We will not and cannot know when exactly it will be therefore Jesus says be prepared, be ready, keep watch. 

What does it mean to keep watch? We have been given the gift of salvation, the gift of forgiveness, and the gift of faith. With the gift of faith, there is also the encouragement to persevere in that faith. With that encouragement to persevere in faith comes also the invitation to carry on the work of the Kingdom. What is that work? To each of us, God has given different gifts. He has placed us in different situations in life (relationships and responsibilities). We are each uniquely called and placed, but at the same time called to the common work of His Kingdom that, through each of us, others would encounter the grace of God found in Jesus Christ.

Prayer:

Father, 

          Preserve us in faith until the coming of the Bridegroom, Jesus Christ. Give us guidance in how You desire to use us to bring the grace of Christ to others. Amen.

Advent Day 25 - God Included You

This year's Advent devotionals are from A Celebration of Advent:
A 25-Day Devotional by New Spring Church of Anderson, SC
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“Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”
Luke 2:10-12

Today, as you read the Christmas story and reflect on Jesus’ birth, marvel at this: God included you in the story. This good news message of Jesus Christ, heralded by angels and declared to shepherds, was also delivered to you.

This declaration is an invitation that rings out and includes you. Today, do not fear for God has given you good news of great joy! We all share in this. The good news of Jesus means peace, wholeness, security, and friendship. The invitation means freedom, hope, and love. Jesus offers a life full of meaning. This Christmas, would you accept the invitation to walk in the joy that only Jesus can bring?

This same Jesus Christ, born of a virgin, is our Lord and King. We pray you will experience the joy of an everyday relationship with him. And as you celebrate Christmas with family and friends, we pray this song will rise in your heart:

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
Luke 2:14

Reflect: Read Psalm 105:1-4, Psalm 68:3-5
What does it mean that this declaration was also an invitation?
What does it mean for Jesus to be king of your heart?
How do you cultivate an everyday relationship with Jesus?
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Prayer:

Father,
           Thank You for the ultimate Gift of Your Son as our Savior. Open our eyes of understanding to all that means for our lives and our eternity. According to Your Word, we give thanks and proclaim Your greatness! Thank You for including us! We will sing Your praises and tell everyone of all You have done. We rejoice as we worship only You. Lord, we search for You and for Your strength. We want to be found in You as we continually seek Your face and await Your Second Coming. Even so, come quickly. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Culture Shocked

So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:

 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
To preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”

Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
Luke 4:16-21 NKJV

Imagine all the ones going into the synagogue on that Sabbath because it was their usual custom. This was Jesus' old neighborhood. He had been raised here. Everyone knew Him. He stands to read, and everyone nods in agreement as He does. They are very familiar with the passage. They have been waiting YEARS for the Messiah to come to rescue them from their oppressors. Then Jesus declares“Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” 

Talk about shock! Jesus had just declared Himself the Messiah! Did they rejoice? Did they dance and shout, "Hallelujah!"?  No, they did not. Where was His army? How were they going to be freed from their oppression? No, they did not rejoice. They tried to mob Him and throw Him off a cliff!

That was the first time He came. The second time, He will have His army. He will be settling scores, and there will be judgment for everyone. Truly, culture shocked!

Prayer:

Father,

           Give us a deeper understanding of Your Word. We don't want to miss anything You have planned for us. Help us to rightly divide Your Words of Truth so we may help others on this journey. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Expecting

A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him - the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord - and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.

He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked. Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist.

Isaiah 11:1-5 NIV

For centuries, the Israelites had been taught the prophecies of the coming Messiah and they had been watching for Him. They searched the scrolls. They cross-referenced with the stars. They expected Him to come as a mighty King to deliver them from the hands of their enemies. They had all the knowledge and yet, they missed Him.

For millennia, the generations of mankind have heard and been taught about the second coming of Christ. We have searched the Scriptures and cross-referenced them with scientific discoveries and signs in the sky (Luke 21:25). What are WE expecting? More to the point - ARE we expecting? Are we waiting with eager anticipation for Christ's return? 

We have even more knowledge. Will we miss Him? 

Prayer:

Father,

          Remove the veil of sin from our eyes so we may clearly see Your glory. We want to see You. We want to know You in Your righteousness. Separate us from our human ignorance to reveal and impart Your wisdom and understanding to us. We don't want to miss You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Making Preparation

Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.
Mark 13:26 NKJV

Do you have family coming in from out of town? Guests coming for the holidays? If so, you are probably already making preparation for their arrival.

If you celebrate Christmas, you may not yet have begun physically preparing for it, but more than likely you are at least thinking about it. You may have timelines steeped in family tradition like one of my sisters-in-law. She starts baking Christmas cookies after the first snowfall of the season. Her mother did it that way and her mother before that and the generation before them, too. (My question has always been "What if it doesn't snow - do we not get cookies?") The relevant point is that she makes preparation.

She buys all the ingredients ahead of time for every different kind of cookie she bakes. She rarely is missing any of the required items. Talk about making a list and checking it twice! She is always more than prepared and just waiting on that first snowflake! (I'm telling you, this woman bakes such wonderful goodness that she could start her own brand... except that there is already a Little Debbie's line of baked goods.)

The second week of Advent focuses on preparation. As we get further into the Advent season, are we thinking about the preparation that was made for us? Are we checking to see if we are prepared for Who is coming? Have we done what we need to do to be able to receive Him? Are we looking forward to His second coming and watching...waiting...?

Prayer:

Father,
            We pray as Sarah Martin prayed. Just as You sent John the Baptist to prepare the way for Jesus, help us to clear the path in our hearts, too. Show us the distractions in our lives that block us from all-out worship of You this Advent. Lord, we await Your coming! As we celebrate Advent, we look toward the day where we will see You face to face. Give us a heart, Lord, that looks for Your coming on a daily basis. Help us to live our life where we constantly seek Your presence. Show us today how we need to be refined, purified, forgiven. Give us the strength to ask for forgiveness and to then change our ways. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

* Warning - The Day is Coming

Mark 13: 14 [Jesus Speaking]   “The day is coming when you will see the sacrilegious object that causes desecration standing where he should not be.” (Reader, pay attention!) “Then those in Judea must flee to the hills. 15 A person out on the deck of a roof must not go down into the house to pack. 16 A person out in the field must not return even to get a coat. 17 How terrible it will be for pregnant women and for nursing mothers in those days. 18 And pray that your flight will not be in winter. 19 For there will be greater anguish in those days than at any time since God created the world. And it will never be so great again. 20 In fact, unless the Lord shortens that time of calamity, not a single person will survive. But for the sake of his chosen ones he has shortened those days.

21 “Then if anyone tells you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah,’ or ‘There he is,’ don’t believe it.22 For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God’s chosen ones. 23 Watch out! I have warned you about this ahead of time!

24 “At that time, after the anguish of those days,

the sun will be darkened,
    the moon will give no light,
25 the stars will fall from the sky,
    and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.

26 Then everyone will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds with great power and glory. 27 And he will send out his angels to gather his chosen ones from all over the world—from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven.

28 “Now learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branches bud and its leaves begin to sprout, you know that summer is near. 29 In the same way, when you see all these things taking place, you can know that his return is very near, right at the door. 30 I tell you the truth, this generation will not pass from the scene before all these things take place.31 Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear.

32 “However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows. 33 And since you don’t know when that time will come, be on guard! Stay alert!

Prayer:

Father,

           Keep our hearts and minds open to You. Let us know Your Truth and walk in Your wisdom. Not only do we want to be ready, but we want to have those in our sphere of influence to be ready also. Give us the words to say that will pierce their hardened hearts. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen