He's Coming Back!

Are you ready for that day to come?

In Luke 12: 35-40 Jesus gives a parable about “Watchfulness”.  It reads,

35 “Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, 36 like servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. 37 It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. Truly I tell you, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. 38 It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the middle of the night or toward daybreak. 39 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. 40 You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”   

Jesus gave many of his teachings in parables.  He tried to teach others about the truth and the light by giving living, relevant situations.  He wanted his listeners then (and now!) to search and understand the spiritual meaning in each story.  Every time I read the parables a new meaning or interpretation shines through.

This parable from Luke 12 reveals that a servant that is not only watchful for the master’s return, but actively working and striving to serve the master in the most opportune time will be rewarded.  Anyone that knows the exact time and date of the master’s return will be prepared.  The real test is comes when we don’t know the master’s arrival.  Each day the servants must go about their daily tasks with responsibility and care knowing that the master could return at any moment.  This parable teaches us we should be watchful of his return.  We do not know the date and time of Jesus’ return.  Nevertheless, we must be watchful and prepared. 

As you read deeper into the story, you notice that the servants kept their lamps burning into the third or fourth watch of the night.  This would take preparation and work to ensure there was sufficient oil and wick to last through the night. 

As servants of the Lord, we must prepare, work and be watchful for his return at any time.  Are you prepared and watchful for the Lord’s triumphant return?  Are you willing to diligently prepare yourself and others for the judgment day?  Then as the old hymn states, “There’s a great day coming, a great day coming; There’s a great day coming by and by, When the saints and the sinners shall be parted right and left, Are you ready for that day to come?”

Father, we thank you for all the blessings and comforts of our lives.  Let us be like the servants awaiting their master, prepared and diligently watchful of your triumphant return.  Allow us the strength to actively spread your word, do your work, and let your light shine in a manner that is pleasing to you.  Lastly, we pray for rain to nourish your land.  In Jesus’ most holy name, Amen.

Adam Tittor

Grapevine, Texas

He's Coming Back!

Just In “A Case”

When I was a young girl, I was fortunate to grow up in a small town. The majority of my family all lived in the same town, creating a wonderfully tight nit group. Both sets of my grandparents, a great grandmother, aunts, uncles and cousins… we were all not too far from one another. Often times we would gather together on the weekends at grandma and grandpa Puckett’s to eat, play and catch lightning bugs. On such occasions, my family of four would load up for the short drive across town. My arrival to the family car was always met with the same expression on my mothers face and the question.” What is that for” she would ask as I would climb in with my little red suitcase in tow. I somehow always found a moment to pack my little red suitcase “just in a case” grandma needed me to stay. I always wanted to be prepared for whatever circumstance I might luck myself into.

As I think about Matthew 25: 31 – 46 I can’t help but think that we all need to be prepared, just “in a case” we cross paths with those situations or individuals that are opportunities for us as Christians. We are to be prepared to reach those who are hungry, thirsty, lonely, poor and sick. I believe that the heart of the matter boils down to how we will handle ourselves when the Lord allows those opportunities to pass in front of us. It sounds so easy to be prepared and feed those who are hungry or clothe those who need clothing. But as we all know, life gets busy and time can be scarce. How do we prepare for our Heavenly Father to return to claim his sheep and separate the righteous to his right hand side?

“The king will reply. “I tell you the truth whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” Perhaps we should find ourselves prepared in scripture and prayer, but choose to start out small. Make a commitment to utilize the talent you have in your “little red suitcase.”  Is it cooking, speaking, inviting, writing…. Just make a difference to one individual or allow that next opportunity to be yours. I believe that if we start somewhere – somewhere small – we will be amazed at how God allows our spirit to grow.

I believe that my Heavenly Father will return to the Earth He created. He will claim the righteous and call us out as sheep to enter His kingdom for eternal life.

This southern girl knows that a glass of tea to the thirsty, a clean pillow to the poor or a handshake to the lonely can do one good. But I also now see that those gestures might just be more of an opportunity for me to show Jesus to the recipients. I am going to strive to have my little red suitcase ready “just in a case” I have an opportunity come my way.

Dear Heavenly Father,

I believe in your plan. I believe you will return to the world that you created and claim the sheep from the goats. Let me be prepared to serve you in anyway. Thank you for my many, many blessings. In your Son's name I pray ~

Ashleigh Feuerbacher

Stephenville, Texas

Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus

Jesus makes a wonderful promise to us in Matthew 10:32. He says that ‘everyone who confesses (acknowledges) me before men, I will confess before my Father who is in heaven.’ If we claim Him, He claims us. This is good news. But did you know there is a confession that will not save us? Paul tells us about it in Philippians 2:10. It says… “that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth’.      

There will be a day when Jesus returns that He will receive all the glory. Every one will bow; every one will acknowledge His authority; Hitler will bow; Stalin will bow; athiests will bow; Islamic extremists will bow. Because on that day, time will end, elements will melt, the earth will burn, the dead will be raised and Jesus will return. He will be flanked by His Mighty angels. It will be Judgment Day. Faith is replaced with fact.        

But that confession on that day doesn’t save. The confession that saves is the one by faith. The confession that saves is the one now “before men”.        

How many times do we have an opportunity to speak up for or stand up for Jesus? To verbalize the faith we have in our heart? Today, it counts. 

Our Father, who are in heaven, You are worthy of all praise. You made everything and give me every good thing I have. Your Son is Lord and has all authority. He is Lord whether I acknowledge it or not. I am sorry, Father. I have not always acknowledged You. Sometimes my faith grows weak. I am ashamed. I love you, Lord. Please forgive me. Please strengthen me. Give me wisdom to see opportunities to stand for you. In the name of Jesus, who has all authority, amen.

Paul Shero

San Angelo, Texas

He's Coming Back!

Does the God of heaven occupy your thoughts?  Do you think about the Lord’s return?   Are you yearning, longing to go home?  Do you think of the Lord’s return ushering you into a whole new life.  The key to peace and happiness in this life is that another, better life waits for those who are in Christ Jesus.    Yet, the Lord’s return to this earth is often viewed by Christians with anxiety, or even worse fear, focusing on judgment, punishment, and destruction.   Why is that?   I believe it is Satan’s attempt to rob us of the hope and peace that are inherent in His coming.   Satan’s greatest weapon is to deceive us to fear that day rather than long for it. 

Literally each moment we must choose our priorities and where we allow our thoughts to take us.  This is a real battle that competes for our minds in wanting to please ourselves, wanting the things we see, and being too proud of what we have.   Christians living in comfort are at great risk of choosing this world.  Don’t let Satan fool you. 

Brothers and sisters, we want you to know about those Christians who have died so you will not be sad, as others who have no hope.¹⁴ We believe that Jesus died and that he rose again. So, because of him, God will raise with Jesus those who have died.¹⁵ What we tell you now is the Lord's own message. We who are living when the Lord comes again will not go before those who have already died.¹⁶ The Lord himself will come down from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. And those who have died believing in Christ will rise first.¹⁷ After that, we who are still alive will be gathered up with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And we will be with the Lord forever.¹⁸ So encourage each other with these words.  I Thessalonians 4:13-18

Our Lord is coming back and the promise of His return is a source of hope, a light to look to, and an anchor to hold us firm IF, we allow it to be.   Choose it, accept it at face value, meditate on it, and encourage one another with the reminder that He is coming back.  When Christ comes again, those who belong to Him will be raised to life.  The last enemy to be destroyed will be death.  The trumpet will sound, and those who have died will be raised to live forever, and we will all be changed.  Death is destroyed forever in victory.   (I Corinthians 15 NCV)   Choose to make His return your joy, your song, your peace, and your hope.   Let this promise cause us to be people whose heart-felt prayer is summed up in the words “Come Lord Jesus”.

Scotty Elston
Shallowater, Texas

He's Coming Back!

Let’s All Be Ready!

Matthew 24 describes Jesus’ prospective return to gather the faithful home. Nobody knows the moment this glorious (or frightful) event will occur, not even Jesus.  Only the Father knows the day and hour. Matthew 25:1-13 begins with the parable of the ten virgins waiting to accompany the bridegroom.  I can tell you from personal experience that weddings in current days are joyous, well planned and timed events.  It is also my personal experience that the wise bridegroom defers to the bride during the event planning. It is extremely satisfying when the plan materializes as it was visualized by the bride. Something always seems to go wrong at weddings; hopefully an insignificant detail is overlooked.  At my own wedding (37 years ago) we had planned to have several candelabras lit before the ceremony began. We forgot to assign that responsibility to anyone, so there were no candles lit for the actual ceremony.  My father said it allowed him to focus on the bride and groom rather than worrying about burning down the building.  The wedding photos taken after the ceremony all have blazing candles!

The ten virgins of the parable were waiting to light the way and accompany the bridegroom to the wedding party.  That was their job as was the tradition of the time.  Their participation as bridesmaids helped prepare them for their own weddings. Weddings of Bible times were vastly different than the precisely timed events that occur these days. There were timing delays while the bride’s family haggled with the bridegroom over the value of the presents given in exchange for the bride. The parable describes five wise bridesmaids and five foolish bridesmaids.  The wise women had extra oil for their lamps. The foolish gals had not prepared in advance for their long wait.  The groom came when the foolish women were not ready, they were left behind, and the door to the party was closed to them. The door was closed because the foolish bridesmaids had insulted and offended their friend, the bride, as well as the groom and the two families. The unprepared bridesmaids were judged, punished and excluded from the celebration. Jesus wants us to continue in our faith that he will return.  It has been a long time since he walked on earth, but I believe he is returning.  Maybe it will be tomorrow!

Dear Lord, Please come quickly! I am ready!

Sherilyn Svien

Stephenville, Texas