Matthew 25 - 12.1.25

Scripture

‭‭

Matthew‬ ‭25‬:‭13‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.”

Observation

Before Jesus said the above words, He gave a parable of the 10 virgins. 5 were wise and the other 5 were foolish. All 10 had lamps, but only the wise ones brought oil to light their lamps. They were waiting for the bridegroom. He had not arrived yet and was taking a long time to return. While they were waiting for him, they ALL fell asleep. However, because the wise virgins were already prepared with oil, upon the groom’s return, they were ready. The foolish ones tried to get oil from the wise virgins, but the oil wasn’t enough for them to share and they had to get their own. Unfortunately, it was too late and the groom did not allow the foolish brides into the wedding banquet. 

This parable is how Christ’s return is going to be! No one knows the day or hour, not even the angels in Heaven or Jesus Himself! Only the Father! (Matthew 24:36, Mark 13:32)

As Christ followers, because our hope is set on His return, it may seem like He is taking a long time. It’s tempting to think He is not coming back and we may want to return to the ways of the world, if we are not careful. However, we must be like the wise brides who were prepared even though their groom was a long time in coming. We need to be prepared at any day or time! A day to Him is like a thousand years and a thousand years is like a day! (2 Peter 3:8)

I was also convicted by the fact that the foolish couldn’t borrow oil from the wise. They had to be prepared for themselves. We cannot expect to borrow oil from another brother or sister in Christ when that day comes! We must be prepared individually. Faith in Jesus is a personal decision that doesn’t get transferred just because we go to church or were born into a Christian family. 

The last thing I noticed about this parable is that ALL of the virgins fell asleep, including the wise ones. Matthew Henry commentary explains that: 

• All slept because the coming of Christ seemed delayed.

• Sleep represents life continuing normally, and believers experiencing human weakness.

• The wise were still ready despite sleeping.

(Reference: Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible — Matthew 25:1–13)

Basically, although the wise still felt weak while waiting, it wasn’t to the detriment of their salvation. They were still ready for Him.

Application

Be prepared and ready for Christ’s return.

How can we be prepared? 

1. Stay connected to God in prayer, His Word, worship and the community of Believers who will encourage us “as we see the Day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:25)

2. Be accountable to someone if working through a sin struggle and don’t be afraid to ask for help from a Pastor, Christian counselor or trusted Spirit-filled brother/sister in the faith. (1 Peter 5:8-11)

3. Serve others and let Your light shine for Jesus to further His Kingdom and bring others with us! In the next parable that Jesus gave His disciples, He talked about bags of gold or talents. Our gifts and talents cannot be hidden, but must produce fruit when our Master returns! We cannot hide it in the ground. We don’t want Jesus to call us out for being a “wicked and lazy servant!” (Matt. 25:26) Rather, we want to hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant!”   (Matt. 25:21,23)

Prayer

Dear Lord, 

I know that the day or hour of Your return is unknown. I do not want to be caught unprepared when You finally arrive. Thank You for Your encouragement in Your Word that You will be returning soon. Even though at times, it seems like it may not happen, I pray that I would always be encouraged to draw close to You and not the lies of the enemy or the world who do not believe. Thank You Jesus for also giving me that vision of hope for Your return in one of my dreams! May I continue to use my time on this earth to serve You and bring more people into Your Kingdom before You return. Please teach me how to patiently endure and keep my lamp and heart burning for You until the end. I want to be ready no matter what day or hour You return. Amen. 

-Michelle Gaddi

Matthew 22 - 11.28.25

Scripture: Matthew 22:34-45

34 Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

41 While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, 42 “What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?”

“The son of David,” they replied.

43 He said to them, “How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him ‘Lord’? For he says,

44 “‘The Lord said to my Lord:
    “Sit at my right hand
until I put your enemies
    under your feet.”’

45 If then David calls him ‘Lord,’ how can he be his son?” 46 No one could say a word in reply, and from that day on no one dared to ask him any more questions

Observation:

The Pharisees and the Sadducees had questioned Jesus trying to trick Him.  They were amazed and astonished at His wise answers.  The next question came from someone who was an expert in the law.  He asked Him what is the greatest commandment.  Jesus didn’t have to think about it.  He answered, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and with all your mind.”  He then gave them a bonus, the second greatest commandment to “Love your neighbor as yourself.”  All the law and teaching of the prophets hang on these two.

Loving God and others are the key to walking with God.  If we do this following the rest will fall into place.

Jesus then turned the tables, He asked them a question and when they answered He proved their answer wrong, it stopped them from asking any more questions.

Application:

It is ok to ask God questions.  He says to seek Him.  However, the questions in this passage were not coming from open hearts seeking knowledge.  Jesus answered their questions anyway, teaching them incredible truths.  I want to make sure God is first in my life and I love Him with all my heart, soul and mind.  I want to be open, like He was to answer questions and share God’s truth even if the questions are asked with trickery in mind.  Loving Him and my neighbor as He described will grow me in relationship with Him.  Then, I can answer in ways that amaze people because I am not relying on my insight, but allowing God to flow through me.

Prayer:

Lord, 

Thank you for your love and compassion.  May I strive to love you with all I am.  Please give me patience when a question being asked is to get things off track, complain, or trick.  May your strength fill me to answer as you would with a heart to teach and share truth.  You are so good.  May your goodness flow through me to others.

Amen

- Cindy Howard

Matthew 21 - 11.27.25

SCRIPTURE Matthew‬ ‭21‬:‭1‬-‭9‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them,

“Go to the village ahead of you,

and at once you will find a donkey tied there—with her colt by her.

Untie them and bring them to me.

If anyone says anything to you,

say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”

This took place—to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:

“Say to Daughter Zion, ‘SEE, your KING comes to you—

gentle and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’ ”

The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them.

They brought the donkey and the colt and

placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on.

A very large crowd—spread their cloaks on the road,

while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.

The crowds that went ahead of HIM—and those that followed—SHOUTED,

“Hosanna—to the Son of David!” “Blessed is HE

who COMES in the NAME of the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest heaven!””

‭‭

OBSERVATION

Matthew 21 records what would begin the final week of Jesus Life.

For three years Jesus had preached the Good News, Taught his disciples and the crowds that followed, about forgiveness- mercy-and-Love.

Jesus cared for, received, and Healed—the broken and rejected—

and performed miracles—unlike the world had EVER—witnessed before.

NOW—over a period of eight days—

Jesus would ride into Jerusalem on a donkey, Be Hailed as the Son of David

with shouts of Hosanna filling the air (Lord Save us).

Jesus would cleanse the Temple, challenge the religious leaders, institute the Lord’s Supper (Communion), get arrested, be Tried for Blasphemy, be Crucified—and THEN—be Raised from the dead!

This was the Moment.

ALL Creation had Been Waiting For THIS ONE MOMENT in Time.

“…The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

And all of this is a gift from God—who brought us back to himself—through Christ.

And God has given us this task of reconciling people to HIM.

For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself,

no longer counting people’s sins against them.

And HE gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation.

So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal—through us.

We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!”

For God made Christ—who never sinned—to be the offering

for our sin—SO—that we could be made right—with God—through Christ.”

‭‭(2 Corinthians‬ ‭5‬:‭17‬-‭21‬ ‭NLT‬‬)

APPLICATION

Be Thankful AND—SHARE—The Thanksgiving

Who have you shared Jesus with today or this week?

I found some older DSC Christmas invitation cards and started using them at my local Starbucks drive through. I paid 18.00 for the person behind me a couple days ago. There is a little room to write a small note “Jesus Loves you” “praying for you today”

JESUS gave us the MOST amazing GIFT that has EVER been Given.

May we share that Gift that keeps on giving. May it be an ongoing Lifestyle.

I will never forget the day a woman walked into the store I was working in over 45 years ago. She asked every single person that day:

Do you know who Jesus is

Do you know how much he loves you

Do you know what He did for you

It only occurred to me today that I got saved several months later and she never knew..so I am now wondering IF any of the customers she talked to that day ALSO got saved???

Jesus gave His Perfect sinless self—to be my atonement for all of my sin-and all of your sin—and all of the world’s sin. It is a FREE Gift—SO that no one else can ever boast about their own accomplishment. We can NEVER earn our way into Heaven (Isaiah 64:6). This ONE Perfect GIFT comes from ONE Perfect Savior—Christ Jesus.

His perfect blood—alone—washes me—clean.

“But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to HIM through the blood of Christ. We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord.”

‭‭(Ephesians‬ ‭2‬:‭13‬, ‭21‬ ‭NLT‬‬)

PRAYER

LORD Jesus,

In John’s Gospel account he writes, ““Jesus also did many other things. If they were all written down, I suppose the whole world could not contain the books that would be written.”(John‬ ‭21‬:‭25‬). I join John in saying I could not begin to write down all that YOU have done for me.

Last Sunday as I tried to write a letter it became an impossible task. From the time YOU saved me so many immediate blessings and deliverance occurred. But the longer I walked with YOU I began to look back and realized even through the darkest times when I didn’t know YOU as my Savior and LORD—YOU Knew me.

YOUR eyes were on me. YOU knew the day of my salvation was coming. YOUR Hand was on me. And all through the years of my failings…I can see YOUR Loving Hand of discipline that drew me back into Your safety.

YOUR goodness is far beyond measure and I cannot fathom Your Love. When my own Father had abandoned me, I can remember the day YOU spoke those words “Don’t you KNOW I WILL Always BE Your FATHER”.

Looking back I can surely say that YOU have always guarded, shielded, protected, and even favored me in ways that others saw and even commented on. YOU have surely BEEN My Father. Thank YOU for Loving me.

Thank YOU that YOU are a God who CHOOSES those things that the world disregards or even discards to Bring Yourself glory. Here I am Lord. I will be singing Your Praises until my last breath. My Life is saved because of YOU…I LOVE YOU MORE Than I can ever describe. My life is Yours. In Jesus Name. Amen.

Tina L Kudelka