Are you vigilantly awaiting Jesus’ return?

 8 Feb 26

Today's devotional: taken from YouVersion, Devotions on F.I.R.E. Year One

Readings:

Leviticus 4

Leviticus 5

Leviticus 6

Matthew 25:1-30

Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming (Matthew 24:42). 

Are you vigilantly awaiting Jesus’ return?

Jesus illustrates His teaching with a Jewish wedding. Parents would arrange their child’s wedding. About one year later the bridegroom would retrieve his bride from her parents’ house and they would observe certain religious ceremonies. Then he would take her to his home for the continuation of the festivities. The ten virgins are the bridesmaids; they would carry lamps to meet the bridegroom. Jesus declares that “five of them were wise, and five were foolish” (literally “morons”, from the Greek) in Matthew 25:2. Jesus’ story has a twist because the groom is late (Matthew 25:5)! The lack of preparation by the five unmasks their unsaved condition (Matthew 25:11-12). This is why Jesus says, “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming” (Matthew 25:13). 

Employment Point: Reveal your faith by watching for Jesus’ return.

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Reflections

““But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.”Matthew‬ ‭25‬:‭10‬ ‭NIV‬‬

• Always be in preparation. We truly do not know when disaster may strike, when we may lose our jobs, when death may hit us, etc. And the most important thing, we also do not know when Christ will come again. Therefore we ought to be fully prepared, as if we are on standby for call back to army, keeping ourselves spiritually fit.

““ ‘If anyone sins because they do not speak up when they hear a public charge to testify regarding something they have seen or learned about, they will be held responsible.”

‭‭Leviticus‬ ‭5‬:‭1‬ ‭NIV‬‬

• This verse was what I shared with my mum when I told her it is only right to offer counsel when we know what went wrong and give our advice. It is sin when we ought to speak up but we didn’t. This is similar when you can offer the helping hand to pull someone out of waters but you did not. When we choose not to do something that is right, we sin. May the Lord grant us wisdom and discernment on when to speak and when to keep quiet.

““ ‘Anyone who cannot afford a lamb is to bring two doves or two young pigeons to the Lord as a penalty for their sin—one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering.”Leviticus‬ ‭5‬:‭7‬ ‭NIV‬‬

• We saw how the law makes sure even the poor who sin also have to bring something for their sins. Nobody is spared and everyone has to be made accountable for their actions. 

“or whatever it was they swore falsely about. They must make restitution in full, add a fifth of the value to it and give it all to the owner on the day they present their guilt offering.”

‭‭Leviticus‬ ‭6‬:‭5‬ ‭NIV‬‬

• in a similar way, Jesus had made for us restitution in full. His body was ripped and His blood was shed for us. He is our guilt offering. May we always remember this and not sin as we remember His sufferings for us..

““After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭25‬:‭19‬ ‭NIV‬‬

• God gave each of us a bag of gold according to our ability. Some were heavier some were lighter. But all was supposed to be faithful and work to develop our ability and be fruitful so that when the Lord returns, all will be in fruition. We are not to keep our ability buried. That’s not the will of God. May we all work to fulfil what was given to us as the Lord wills and to those whose ability were buried, may you be able to unearth your ability so that you may be the salt and light.

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One with Him

BY OSWALD CHAMBERS

February 08

May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. — 1 Thessalonians 5:23

When we pray to be sanctified, are we praying for the standard Paul sets here—the “through and through”? We take the term sanctification much too superficially. Sanctification means an intense narrowing of our earthly interests and an immense broadening of our interests in God. It means an intense concentration on God’s point of view—every power of body, soul, and spirit bound and kept for him. Are we prepared to let God do his work in us? And when his work is done, are we prepared to set ourselves apart, as Jesus set himself apart?

God wants us to be sanctified entirely. The reason some of us haven’t entered into the experience of entire sanctification is that we haven’t understood the meaning of it from God’s viewpoint: “For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified” (John 17:19). Sanctification means being made one with Jesus, so that the mindset which ruled him will also rule us. Are we prepared for what that will cost? It will cost everything that is not of God in us.

To be caught up in the swing of Paul’s prayer, the “through and through,” means asking God to make us as holy as he can make sinners saved by grace. Jesus prayed that we might be one with him as he is one with the Father (v. 21). The sanctified soul has one defining characteristic: a strong family resemblance to Jesus, a freedom from everything that doesn’t resemble him. Are we prepared to embrace this freedom by setting ourselves apart? Will we agree to let Jesus make us one with him, as he is one with the Father?

Leviticus 4-5; Matthew 24:29-51

WISDOM FROM OSWALD

Re-state to yourself what you believe, then do away with as much of it as possible, and get back to the bedrock of the Cross of Christ. 

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Reflections

When I was reading this devotional, the words in bold stood out. This question is so pointedly asked. Am I or are we, prepared for what it will cost to be truly sanctified? And that it will cost everything! That is not of God in us.

It makes me ponder over certain questions.

• what are the things in me that is not of God.
• There’s still some stubbornness, impatience, anger, disappointments, negative emotions, etc.. having sit down and think through for a quick 5 minutes, I was able to list all these things.. oh man…
• But seriously, if this is my cost, then yes, Lord please take over. I want to be truly sanctified!
• My ultimate aim I believe, is to enter the narrow door, to be allowed in, to stand in front of Jesus and pass the test and not be thrown in the fire. I don’t know about you.

I come to a point where whatever it is, no matter what it is, doesn’t matter. What matters most is my heart is set right with Christ. For once that is right, everything is right. Just like the cross. First by right with God, then we will be right with men.

“Are we prepared to let God do his work in us? And when his work is done, are we prepared to set ourselves apart, as Jesus set himself apart?” - someone wrote about his calling which makes me think deeper. He said “something small — like setting up a school network — makes a huge difference, simply because I'm there. Not because I'm an expert, but because no one else is available. We are learning- our calling isn't about where life is easiest - it's about where

presence itself becomes service. Calling, we're learning, is not fixed to a place, a title, or a single role. It changes as God moves. And we don't have to limit our service to what we tie our identity to.”

The whole of last year I was asking the Lord what does it mean to be a church nurse. But after reading what this guy wrote, it kind of didn’t matter so much anymore. Not like I don’t take my calling seriously but that I felt I don’t need to struggle against doing nursing stuff versus non nursing stuff. Yes His calling for me is in nursing no doubt. But due to the skillsets that He has placed in me, my presence can too, become a service. 

That means my service is not tied to who I am, but my availability to Him. So no matter where I am, be it in Singapore or overseas, whether I am doing clinical work or not, my nursing skills and knowledge is not put to waste. In the areas where I am made present, is where I can serve. Even in my local outreach ministry where there isn’t actually any nursing needs, I found that my skills are still useful and it brings joy to people! I think this is something money cannot buy and I do find myself enjoying the work that I am doing. 

Something came to mind while I was writing this. That is, every life touched, is a life filled with His love. So yes, let’s continue to touch lives, one by one! Praise the Lord!!