Daily Devotional For Sunday, April 6, 2025
Good morning Southside! It’s Sunday. Time to celebrate and worship the Lord Jesus Christ with other disciples of Jesus at church. We are living in some strange and unusual times, but we should not be shocked or surprised. Many Bible scholars believe we are living in what they call “the last days” – meaning the days just before Jesus Christ returns. When we read Old Testament prophecies about this these days, it seems to indicate we might be. The truth is – no one knows for sure. Whether we are or are not, we should live every day to the glory of God.
Jesus did talk to His disciples about the “last days” in Matthew 24 and He said this to them in Matthew 24:13-14, “But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved. (14) This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.” (NASB). I get asked, “Are we living in the end times?” To be honest, Christians and some preachers have been believing this for centuries. In Matthew 24:13-14, Jesus is describing uncontrolled wickedness, sin and evil just before He returns.
The only way to experience His salvation, He says, is to remain committed to Him until the end in spite of the wickedness. People get heated up about the end times. They say, “People have always said they’re living in the end times. Do you think we are? How do you know?” The increased wickedness in the world makes me think we may be approaching the End of the Age, but I don’t know whether that means a year, ten years, or one hundred years.
But, I can tell you this: As far as you and I are concerned, these are our last days. If we’re going to finish our time on earth living out the purposes of God, we will be required to stand firm. These are our last days. We will not be given another chance in this lifetime nor another lifetime to come back. The moment we were born, the clock of death began its countdown on us. Hebrews 9:27 says this, “And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment” (NASB).
There are millions of graves all across the country in cemeteries. All those people once had lives, jobs, families, marriages, hopes and dreams. What do they all have in common? – they all died. We all die in the end. We can’t escape it even with cryogenic freezing. There is no coming back. Once gone, we are gone. So, until this happens, we should be busy getting the Gospel out to the rest of the world and making disciples. It is estimated that 40% or 3 billion people living today have never heard the Gospel. Jesus makes it clear in Matthew 24 that the real end will not happen until the Gospel has reached every country, tribe, village and person on this planet.
Look at Matthew 24:14 again, “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.” (NASB). So, as you worship today, one of the ways you can worship is pledge to personally help get the Gospel out to the rest of the world. In Matthew 24, Jesus gives nine signs that indicate when the end may be near. Due to time and space, I chose not to go into the details of these here. Yet, all nine were clearly or believed by the early church to be accomplished by 70 AD.
New Testament scholar Bruce B. Barton writes this: “This fulfillment will explain how 24:34 can be true. It demonstrates that everything necessary for Christ’s return was accomplished within the first generation of Christianity, so that every subsequent generation has been able to believe that Jesus could come back in their times. It should lead us to reject all views that claim to know for sure that Christ is returning in a given year, decade, or century on the basis of some unique event that has never previously occurred in Christian history (as, e.g., with the reestablishment of the state of Israel or with some future, hypothetical or actual rebuilding of the temple) – Source: Bruce B. Barton, The Life Application Study Bible, “Matthew,” Vol. 22, p. 357).
So, where does this leave us today? We should be busy with the commandment given to us by Jesus in Matthew 28:19-20 — making disciples. We need to be ready at all times for Jesus' immediate return. No one knows when this is, but we do know it will happen. So, let’s be ready for it just like in this story below:
“Robby Robins was an Air Force pilot during the first Iraq war. After his 300th mission, he was surprised to be given permission to immediately pull his crew together and fly his plane home. They flew across the ocean to Massachusetts and then had a long drive to western Pennsylvania. They drove all night, and when his buddies dropped him off at his driveway just after sun-up, there was a big banner across the garage—"Welcome Home Dad!"
How did they know? No one had called, and the crew themselves hadn't expected to leave so quickly. Robins relates, "When I walked into the house, the kids, about half dressed for school, screamed, 'Daddy!' Susan came running down the hall—she looked terrific—hair fixed, make-up on, and a crisp yellow dress. 'How did you know?' I asked. 'I didn't,' she answered through tears of joy. 'Once we knew the war was over, we knew you'd be home one of these days. We knew you'd try to surprise us, so we were ready every day’” (Source: Robby Robins).
Robby Robins’ family was ready for even his surprise return to home. Are you ready for Jesus’ return? Are you? Are you as ready as an old African-American woman is named Bessi?
“It happened in a small country store in a little black community in southern Mississippi. A dear old black lady came to do her shopping. The kind of lady you wished could have been your own momma. She was a fine, stout, Christian woman, nourished through the years by the Good Book, fried chicken, and sensible living. She not only loved Jesus, but she lived every day in light of Jesus’ soon coming. So happened at the same store there were a couple-three fellows hanging around sipping a cola outside just up to no good. Just sort of like trouble getting ready to happen and they knew her faith. They knew she loved her Lord and they decided they would taunt her. “Hey, Bessie! We hear you ‘pecting Jesus to come back?” She hardly looked at them as she took the shopping cart and began to push her way down the aisle saying, “I sho do.” “You really believe he’s a’coming?” With greater intensity she paused and looked back over her shoulder through her bifocals and said, “Sho as you were born.” Now they pressed her to the limit saying, “Well now, you better hurry home and get ready ‘cause Jesus might already be on the way from glory right now.” She stopped, turned around and stared her tormentors in the face. She said, “Now y’all listen to me. I don’t has to git ready. I keeps ready” (Source: Charles R. Swindoll, Contagious Christianity: A Study of 1 Thessalonians, “On That Great Gettin’-Up Morning —1 Thessalonians 4:13-18,”), p. 62.
Place God at the center of your life so you can stand firm and never stumble under the pressures of this world that is surely to come to an end one day.
Questions To Consider
- How often do you think about the “end times” or the “last days?” When you do, what are your thoughts, fears, worries and anxieties over this?
- To me, the rapture of the church and the end times are just as assured as death is. This is why we all need to be ready when either one comes. What do you think? Do you believe we are living in the “end times?” Why or why not?
- It has been said that the only thing guaranteed in life is death and taxes. I would like to add to that – the love of Jesus for His disciples and His love for the world. Love is a very powerful emotion and action. Why do you think so many people do not respond to Jesus’ love to accept him as Savior and Lord?
- Robby Robins’ family was ready for his surprising return from being deployed in Iraq. When he came through the door, his wife was ready as if she was going out on a date with him right then. Miss Bessie said she did not have to do anything to get ready for Jesus’ return because in her words she “keeps ready.” Do you “keeps ready” for Jesus' return? Why or why not? If you do, how do you “keeps ready?”
Scripture To Meditate On: Revelation 14:6, “And I saw another angel flying in midheaven, having an eternal gospel to preach to those who live on the earth, and to every nation and tribe and tongue and people” (NASB).
Prayer To Pray: “Heavenly Father, grant me greater awareness of Your eternal Kingdom and the boldness to stand for Jesus everywhere You place me. May all who know me see and understand that I belong to You and desire to know You in ways they never have before. Lord, help me to “keeps ready” for your return and I pray that if that is in my lifetime, You will find me faithful. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
I love you Southside!--Pastor Kelly