Be ready for His return

 29 Dec 25

Today's devotional: taken from YouVersion, Life Application Study Bible Devotion


Be ready for His return

We should not become lazy and complacent because Christ has not yet returned. Instead, we should live in eager expectation of his coming. What would you like to be doing when Christ returns? That is how you should be living each day.


“So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him.”

‭‭2 Peter‬ ‭3‬:‭14‬ ‭NIV‬‬

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Reflections

I think while working would be nice? Hahahaha. Definitely not while I was sleeping as I sleep like a log and with messy hair hahaha.


Well jokes aside, we definitely should be in a state of continuous readiness. Just like a guard or watchman who is on standby, always ready, armed, protected and never let our guards down. 


This constant state of readiness is also what prepares us for His coming. The anticipation that He can come this evening or evening tomorrow morning, should keep us on our toes. We cannot allow ourselves to slack, thinking it will be not happen. We need to stay wise, like the virgins with extra oil. The Word of God has already warn us that His second coming would be unannounced. Nobody knows and right now, a lot of people also do not care.


We need to make sure we are not caught in the act of complacency, laziness and being far away with the Lord. For He will enter the narrow gates, close the door and tell us that He doesn’t know us. We need to make sure when judgement comes, we will not be like goats but be like sheep. Obedient to our shepherd.

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Deserter or Disciple?

BY OSWALD CHAMBERS

December 29


From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. — John 6:66


When God gives you a vision of what he wants, speaking to you by his Spirit through his word, and your mind and soul thrill to that vision, you must walk in the light of what you’ve seen. If you don’t, you will sink into servitude to a point of view our Lord never had. Disobedience to a heavenly vision will make you a slave to points of view that are alien to Jesus Christ. Don’t look at someone else and say, “If they can have those views and prosper, why can’t I?” You have to walk in the light of the vision that has been given to you, not compare yourself to others or judge them. How others think and behave is between them and God.


When you find that a point of view in which you’ve been delighting clashes with a heavenly vision, put it away at once. Debating with God will only develop certain mindsets in you: a sense of property, a sense of personal rights—things in which Jesus Christ put absolutely no stock. He was always against any sense of personal entitlement, considering it the root of everything alien to himself. “Watch out!” he told his disciples. “Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions” (Luke 12:15). If we don’t recognize this, we’re ignoring the undercurrent of our Lord’s teaching.


We have the tendency to lie back and bask in the memory of the wonderful experiences we’ve had. If there’s any standard in the New Testament revealed by the light of God that you don’t meet—that you don’t even feel inclined to meet—that is the beginning of backsliding, because it means your conscience isn’t answering to the truth. You can never be the same after God unveils a truth to you. That moment marks a turning point: either you go on as an ever truer disciple of Jesus Christ, or you turn back as a deserter.


Zechariah 9-12; Revelation 20


WISDOM FROM OSWALD

It is impossible to read too much, but always keep before you why you read. Remember that “the need to receive, recognize, and rely on the Holy Spirit” is before all else.

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Reflections

When I look at this devotional. A word came to my mind. Milk or solid food? 


Recently was discussing some stuff with my friends and they mentioned it is not so much of how long a person has been a Christian but if they are mature enough and is already eating solid food. One can be a Christian for a long time and is still drinking milk. On the other hand, a younger Christian may not necessarily be less mature than a 50 year old Christian. It is never about the number of years as a Christian but about how close one is with the Lord.


Disobedience rings the bells every now and then, reminding us that the Lord commands us to certain actions in faith and trust. Each yes from yes moves us a step towards the goal that He sets for us. You know the game “snake and ladders”? There are times where we are safe, times where we may backslide, times where we may move forward. The more important thing is never to give up. To persevere and finish the race that is set out for us. If we fall away and be discouraged, we are no different from anyone else. 


God is in us and encourages us by the Holy Spirit. He speaks to us and guides us in His ways for His name’s sake. We need to remember the fruit of the spirit and be able to apply what we learn. To not give up in the face of challenges or temptations but stand firm in the faith. All these are God’s tests for us and propels us forward to the finishing line. Thank You Lord for Your teachings and Your blessings for us. Amen 🙏🏻 

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