Matthew__24

Scripture

• 36"No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son,but only the Father.
• 42"Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. 43But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. 44So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.
•  45"Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? 46It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. 47I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 48But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, 'My master is staying away a long time,' 49and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. 50The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. 51He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Observation

We are certain of one very important thing in this passage...Jesus will come again to establish His Kingdom rule here on earth.  The time for that was not at the time of His life on earth but was in a distant future.  He gives us some signs that would point to His return but the other thing we know for sure is that no one but the Father knows when the return will be, not even the angels.  The other thing we recognize from this chapter is that whether we are ready or not He will return.

Understanding

Jesus says that He will return to establish His kingdom and to destroy those who oppose it.  He gives us four pieces of advice to help us navigate this event successfully.  He says that we as wise servants should...

• Be watchful or alert
• Be ready
• Be faithful
• Be wise

Life application

So are we being wise servants of the Master?  Are we living in such a way that we are being watchful, ready, faithful and wise?  What do those things look like in your life?  Would love to hear from you how those instructions are being walked out in your life today.

 

-PG

2 Samuel_20

Scripture

 

2 Samuel 20:16,19

 

16 “But a wise woman in the town called out to Joab, “Listen to me, Joab. Come over here so I can talk to you.”

 

19 "I am one who is peace loving and faithful in Israel. But you are destroying an important town in Israel. Why do you want to devour what belongs to the LORD?"

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Observation-What does it say?

 

Joab and his forces are in hot pursuit of seizing Sheba and his men. They find out that Sheba and his men were assembled and ready for battle in a town called Abel-beth-maacah. So Joab and his forces arrive and begin attacking the town, even building a siege ramp against the towns fortifications as they began battering down the wall. 

But a wise woman from the town calls out to Joab and questions Joab asking why he is destroying their town...God's town. Joab replies his intentions of seizing but one man, Sheba, for Sheba spoke against the king of Israel and has tried to start a revolt against the king. Joab then tells this wise woman that if she hands Sheba over to him, he will leave their town. The wise woman talks it over with the rest of the town and they agree to Joab's request. They cut off Sheba's head and throw it out to Joab. 

 

Understanding-What does it mean?

 

The wise woman stood up against the man (Sheba), who spoke against God's anointed King, and helped spare her town from further destruction and ruin.

 

The town of Abel-beth-maacah had a person amongst them who had spoken bad against God's anointed king, David. The town was under attack and on the verge of being devoured by the king's army because of it, until a wise woman came out and took a stand against the destruction of her land, the land of God! She and the town literally took the thing that was causing her town so much war and destruction by the head and submitted it to the king's men. Her town was spared from further damage that day.

 

Life Application

 

Take a stand against the things in this world that oppose God, His people, and His ways.

 

It seems this world put lots of things God considers important on the back burner. In some parts of the world, God's people are being put to death because of their faith. Even in our own nation, God and His ways are being taken out of schools and our government. We as a church body (His bride), have let God down. Our world is being devoured and destroyed because of such things. Just look around us! It's time we as THE CHURCH take a stand! We must be like the wise woman in this passage and take a stand. Fight to keep our home, God's home, from being destroyed!

 

Lord give me courage and strength to take a stand against anything or anyone who opposes You or Your people. Let we, as Your bride, fight for its groom. Help us to show you the honor, respect, and love You truly deserve. In Your name Lord Jesus, Amen.

 

-Moses Gaddi

 

Psalm_105

Scripture

Psalm 105:8,42-44

⁸ He remembers his covenant forever,    the promise he made, for a thousand generations,

⁴² For he remembered his holy promise    given to his servant Abraham.⁴³ He brought out his people with rejoicing,    his chosen ones with shouts of joy;⁴⁴ he gave them the lands of the nations,    and they fell heir to what others had toiled for—

Observation

Starting with praise, this book shares a summarized version of the story of Abraham, the story of the Israelites – from being set free (with the use of plagues) to the traveling by cloud and fire, to the provision in the desert (manna and quail from heaven, water from rocks)…and why?  All because God had made a promise.

 

Understanding

There was so much good stuff in today’s reading – especially in Matthew, with the “give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and give to God what is God’s” (Matthew 22:21) and the greatest commandment (Matthew 22:34-40) – it was hard to choose just one theme.  But I think even those can be summed up with…  

God is faithful.

And Psalms brings it home with just how faithful God is…so much so that he remembers his covenant FOREVER, the promise he made for A THOUSAND GENERATIONS.  I’m lucky to remember something for a thousand minutes or a thousand seconds.  Yet the God who spoke us in to creation, who knew the beginning, middle and end of our stories before we took our first breath, He remembers the promises he made FOREVER.

Life Application

What promises are you holding on to?  What things have spoken to you and over you by God?  May today be a reminder that He hasn’t forgotten.  Stay the course, you serve a faithful God who remembers you and remembers the promises He's made you.

God, I thank you that you are a faithful God…a follow through God.  Not one thing comes out of your mouth only to return void.  May I be faithful to you like you are to me. 

Oh, and give me opportunities today to exercise the greatest commandment – love.

In your name I pray. 

Rei

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