pathoflifedevotions Devotions, February 18

February 18 “Seasons”

Seasons

Many times natural phenomenon, like the changing of the seasons, point toward supernatural things.
The sun had almost disappeared behind the hills surrounding Jerusalem as Jesus told the Twelve about the things that were to come. Could they also see the sun setting on an old Covenant? Could they see a terrible night of suffering just ahead for Jesus and for them? Is it possible that they could have foreseen the dawning of a New Covenant of presence and power? We can be sure they did not see these things. All they saw was the ending of another day.

The Lesson of the Fig Tree
Somewhere on the approach to Jerusalem a withered fig tree gave silent warning of the endtimes. Jesus had sought figs from it out of season and, finding only leaves, He cursed it and it obediently died. The fig tree was a symbol of the nation of Israel. Jesus had come to them in a green season, expecting fruit and receiving none, He spoke of their destruction. Now, He took the lesson deeper.

“Now learn this parable from the fig tree…”

This was an agrarian society, one engaged with the seasons. The men knew what He was talking about. Now was the time of their visitation! If they reject Jesus in these favorable days, what will they do when the stones of the Temple start to fall?

“Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.”

Each of the men looked at Jesus and then at each other. “This generation!”—Them! He was talking about them! This was no parable; this was about to happen—to them! None of them wanted to believe it but how could they doubt the words of Jesus?

“Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.”

If He said it would happen; it would happen.

“Take heed, watch and pray.”
No one knows the day or the hour, but we can detect the season. Like the natural cycles of the earth, seasons of war and peace will come and go. People see these things but cannot know when the end will come. The solution is to be ready at all times. Jesus said that we who follow Him are like caretakers in His House with specific work to do—do it! Do it with all your might. Do it faithfully for you never know when the Owner will return.

Jesus was talking about them and the destruction of the Temple in their lifetimes and He is talking about us and the endtimes. There are three things for us to do:

  1. Take heed—keep our eyes open on current events so we can understand.
  2. Watch—be sensitive to the leadership of the Spirit in contrast to the tenor of the times.
  3. Pray—pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Pray for the Promised Outpouring of the Spirit. Pray this prayer: “Even so, Come Lord Jesus!”

As we shiver through another winter, rejoice in another spring, swelter through another summer and find our jackets to ward off the winds of another fall, may these seasons speak to us of these last days.

Many times natural phenomenon, like the changing of the seasons, point toward supernatural things.

Scriptures:
Mark 13: 28-37
“Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender, and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. So you also, when you see these things happening, know that it is near — at the doors! Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away. “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is. It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch. Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming — in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning —lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping. And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!”

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I know You are coming soon! I want to be ready when You come. I want You to find me working at my assignment in Your great House. Help me take heed, watch, and pray for that day! I know that Your Word is sure and will never pass away. I recognize that in my generation Israel was restored to nationhood. If this is what You meant by the generation when all is fulfilled, help me be ready! Even so, Come, Lord Jesus! Amen.

Song:
Signs Are Everywhere
Words and Music: Mrs. F.W. Suffield

1. The King is coming in glory to catch His bride away.
It may be in the morning. It may be at midday,
At the even at midnight; the trump will sound so clear;
The dead in Christ, and we that live, His voice shall hear.

Refrain:
The King is coming, hallelujah! He’s coming in the air,
The fig tree is budding, the signs are everywhere.
The saints are looking ever upward while journeying on their way.
He’s coming, hallelujah! To catch His bride away.

2. Behold He cometh and leaping and skipping o’er the hills;
Like the young roe, like the young hart, My soul with rapture thrills;
Through the window He’s looking, through the lattice work is seen,
The winter’s past, the rain is o’er, the figs are green.

Refrain

3. The King is coming, “Be ready,” to meet Him on that day;
With your heart right, with your robes white, and in this holy way;
Like the light’ning that flashes in the twinkling of an eye,
Our Lord shall come to claim His own, He’s drawing nigh.

Refrain.

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

© 2018 Stephen R. Phifer All Rights Reserved

TheJesusStory devotions are also found at KingdomWinds.com.

pathoflifedevotions Devotions, February 18

February 16 “Readiness”

Readiness

Inevitable things will come. We cannot stop them but we can be ready.
The observation point high on the Mount of Olives afforded a stirring view of Jerusalem and the Temple. Jesus and the Twelve had just left the Temple, exited the city gates, and ascended to this point on the mountain. Such sights prompted questions about the future Jesus predicted. So far His answers had not been encouraging. It would get worse before it got better.

The Prophet Daniel
The Prophet Daniel wrote on a grand scale. His work concerns nations and epochs of time. So much so, that several historical events can be linked to just a few of His words. One of those terms is “The Abomination of Desolation.” This prophecy was a familiar one to the Twelve. Literally it speaks to a terrible event, an abomination, that brings about total destruction, desolation. It is a direct reference to the worship of Jehovah in the Temple.

The worship of God is so holy it can be readily spoiled by impure hearts and sinful hands. Beyond the personal failures of those who go through the motions of worship is the abomination of idolatry. The history of Israel was plagued by periods of apostasy in which people would worship idols made my men rather than their Holy, Covenant-keeping God. These false worship systems were usually established on high places far removed from the Temple. But there is never any way to hide idolatry. The judgement of God, promised by the words of the Covenant, always fell on the nation for her idolatry. Pagan nations conquered them time and again. God sent holy prophets, faithful priests, and reformer kings to restore true worship.

The Abomination of Desolation goes beyond these seasons of apostasy. Instead of illicit worship sites in the countryside, this idolatry takes place in the Temple itself. Pagan armies invaded the city and the Temple to set up their idols in the Holy of Holies. This abomination destroyed the Covenantal relationship with God and resulted in the desolation of the city and the slavery of the nation.

It had happened before.
Each of the Temples where God Almighty chose to dwell among people ended in this type of destruction. The repeated cause? False worship—idolatry in the house of God. At the moment when Jesus and the Twelve were taking in the exalted view of the Temple and the city, there was a false hope of the appeasement of Rome with a puppet king and an established routine of the external trappings of worship. This provided an aura of hope but it was a false hope.

It would happen again.
The disturbing warning of Jesus was that all of this beauty would crumble in violence and it would happen soon—in the lifetimes of the Twelve. They must be prepared. They must be in a state of readiness.

It did happen with the siege and destruction of Jerusalem by Roman armies 66-70 A.D. This abomination would destroy Old Covenant worship. At the same time, it would scatter the followers of Jesus throughout the known world. He would go with them. His Spirit would empower them. Through their lives a new Temple would be built, not of stone, but of flesh, a new habitation of God by His Spirit—the Church! The Church triumphant will take root in every culture and race making the Kingdom of God one Holy nation.

It is the duty of every generation to live in a state of readiness.

Scriptures:
Mark 13: 14-23
“So when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not” (let the reader understand), “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let him who is on the housetop not go down into the house, nor enter to take anything out of his house. And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! And pray that your flight may not be in winter. For in those days there will be tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the creation which God created until this time, nor ever shall be. And unless the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake, whom He chose, He shortened the days. “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or, ‘Look, He is there!’ do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will rise and show signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. But take heed; see, I have told you all things beforehand.
Ephesians 2:19-22 NKJV
Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
2 Timothy 4:1-5 NKJV
I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, You know what the future holds; I do not. I trust You with it. I realize that my job is to be ready for whatever comes. I want to be ready in prayer, in adoration of You, in witness to Your amazing grace and in personal holiness. You have called me to serve You in these last days. To be ready for tomorrow is to serve You today. Help any fear I may have of tomorrow become faith in You for tomorrow. You are already there, Lord Jesus! Amen and Amen.

Song:
Jesus Is Coming Soon
Words and Music: R.E. Winsett

1. Troublesome times are here, filling men’s hearts with fear;
Freedom we all hold dear, now is at stake.
Humbling your heart to God, saves from the chast’ning rod.
Seek the way pilgrim’s trod. Christians awake!

Refrain:
Jesus is coming soon, morning or night or noon;
Many will meet their doom; trumpets will sound.
All of the dead shall rise; righteous meet in the skies;
Going where no one dies, heaven-ward bound.

2. Love of so many cold; losing their home of gold;
This in God’s Word is told; evils abound.
When these signs come to pass, nearing the end at last,
It will come very fast; trumpets will sound.

Refrain

3. Troubles will soon be o’er; happy forevermore,
When we meet on that shore, free from all care.
Rising up in the sky, telling this world goodbye;
Homeward we then will fly, glory to share.

Refrain

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

© 2018 Stephen R. Phifer All Rights Reserved

TheJesusStory devotions are also found at KingdomWinds.com.

pathoflifedevotions Uncategorized

August 13 “Watchfulness”

Watchfulness

There is nothing of the ostrich in the true Christ-follower.
Our heads are not buried in any kind of sand. We are called to be a watchful people, carefully observing events and people around us. We observe events because these are the Last Days and civilization is hurdling toward an end and a new beginning. We observe people because this is an age of deception, of false messiahs preaching false hope. Careful observation is a necessity. This is the lesson Jesus taught in the Temple courts.

“…the kingdom of God is near.”
Jesus established a routine. He spoke all day in the Temple courts and spent the nights on the heights of the Mount of Olives. He and His men found a grove where they could rest. Early every morning, a crowd gathered in the Temple courts to hear Him again. His message was simple and pressing. Just as one could observe the signs of the seasons, we can also observe the signs of the times.

“So you also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near.”

It was a not a new subject; Jesus had been explaining the details of the Kingdom of God for the three years of His earthly sojourn. This was the content of His teaching. The time was short; an urgency sounded in His voice—this generation would not pass away until all was fulfilled.

“But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly.”

What should the people do? His words to them are His words to us.

“Watch therefore, and pray always…”

Looking to the Heavens
Jesus tells us to look up for our redemption is drawing near. This means that our understanding of what we see in events and in people is interpreted through a particular prism: the Eternal Word of God. We are commanded to observe but the Spirit helps us understand what we see. There is a God in heaven who watches the earth. He has a people of faith who have been redeemed from the wickedness of this world even while remaining in it. He is working through these people to reach the lost and save the sick, just as He did when He walked this earth so long ago.

Set Our Affections on Things Above
There is a Kingdom higher than those of men—the Kingdom of God. It is here that our affections must be planted. When the Kingdom of God is ushered in, justice will prevail at last. Wrongs will be righted forever. Freedom will sound its clarion call from shore to sea to shore and back again. This Kingdom is higher than any other and it is coming! In no other port should our passions anchor. In no other castle should our hopes reside. Our worship must sing of no other One but Jesus. Only the things above can help us make sense of things below.

Behold the Lord
Far from holes in the sand, our heads are tilted heavenward! Through our worship we can see our Savior in those regions above! To see Him there, to behold Him there, is to be changed. This is not some cosmetic change but a deep transformation—from glory to glory—the Bible says.

Scriptures:
Luke:21:29-38 NKJV
Then He spoke to them a parable: “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. When they are already budding, you see and know for yourselves that summer is now near. So you also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near. Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away. “But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.” And in the daytime He was teaching in the temple, but at night He went out and stayed on the mountain called Olivet. Then early in the morning all the people came to Him in the temple to hear Him.
Colossians 3:1-4 NKJV
If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.
2 Corinthians 3:17-18 NKJV
Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, as the Bible predicted, perilous times are here. The kingdoms of this world press on us from all sides. Help me to lift my eyes beyond their glittering towers to Your Kingdom above. I want to fix my heart there. I set my affections on Your throne, Lord Jesus. Let me interpret events and people today in the light of eternity. As I behold Your glory, change me Lord from glory to glory. In these Last Days, may I find the Outpouring of the Spirit and shun the great falling away. I want to be a watchful, faithful follower of You, Lord Jesus, Amen.

Song:
Open Our Eyes, Lord
Words and Music: Robert Cure

Open our eyes, Lord, We want to see Jesus,
To reach out and touch Him, And say that we love Him.
Open our ears, Lord, And help us to listen,
Open our eyes, Lord, We want to see Jesus.

Open our hearts, Lord, That we might receive You,
Open our spirits, and teach us to worship.
Open our lips, Lord, and teach us to praise You,
Open our eyes, Lord, We want to see Jesus.

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

© 2018 Stephen R. Phifer All Rights Reserved

TheJesusStory devotions are also found at KingdomWinds.com.
pathoflifedevotions Uncategorized

August 12 “Shaken”

Shaken

Substantial structures will shake when the ground beneath them trembles.
A trembling house will cause the hearts of its occupants to shake as well. In general, we don’t care for shaking. We like stability, predictability, sure foundations, and rock solid mountains on the horizon.

Perilous Times
The Apostle Paul warns us about the last days.

“But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come”

Sometimes there is a shaking in human events:

  • Armies march over the horizon to lay siege to our city and shaking predicts the assault.
  • Public morality erodes the behavior of the average citizen, shaking the safety of our institutions disturbing the peace at its core.
  • Crime stalks the streets as greed stalks the chambers of commerce and the value of the currency trembles.
  • Rising tides of wickedness threaten to inundate our villages and towns in filth and we feel the trembling before the flood.

As much as we long for stability, we can still feel the ground shaking beneath us. These times do not come without warning; the sense of shaking is the warning.

Impending Disaster
The people in Jesus’ audience were about to experience shaking of the most perilous kind. The Romans would finally tire of the constant rebellion of the Jews and conquer the city. Hear the prophesy of Jesus:

“…Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.”

In 70 AD the shaking became an earthquake of destruction as a Roman army laid siege to the city, denuding the surrounding countryside of timber to build their machines of war. They broke through and destroyed the Temple and the city.

The Diaspora
In today’s passage, Jesus warned the people, instructing them in the meager defenses available to them.

“…let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains…”

The nation of Israel would be destroyed and given over to the Gentiles. They would be scattered over the earth until the “times of the Gentiles” would be fulfilled. Because of the strength of their traditions and the skills of their lives, they would take root wherever they went and be productive in spite of the hatred of the nations where they settled. Much of this history is well known and is a testimony to the faithfulness of God to His covenantal promises.

The Times Fulfilled
In May of 1948, the United Nations voted to establish the nation of Israel in their ancestral homeland. Nothing like this had ever happened before. The city of Jerusalem and the site of the Temple were in the hands of Gentiles until June of 1967 when Israel defeated a host of invading nations to win back the city. Many believe that this event completed the “times of the Gentiles” of Jesus prophecy. The Last Days are upon us.

The Last Days
As the Lord prepares the church for His return, a new kind of shaking will happen,

“…the powers of the heavens will be shaken.”

This is more than a storm of nature; this is the coming of the Holy Spirit to the earth! It began on the Day of Pentecost and continues to this day. It is  a shaking that is leading to the return of Christ:

“Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.”

Along with the “perilous times” of the great falling away, will be the great outpouring of the Holy Spirit. When we feel the foundations shaking,

“…look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.”

Scriptures:
Luke:21:20–28 NKJV
“But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those who are in the midst of her depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her. For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! For there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people. And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. “And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.”
2 Timothy 3:1-5 NKJV
But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!
Hebrew 12:25-29 NKJV
See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven, whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, “Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.” Now this, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire.
Acts 2:17-18 NKJV
‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams. And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I believe that just as You came to this earth to fulfill Your holy mission of Redemption, You will return to this earth to finish the work. Thank You for the nation of Israel, a living witness to Your faithfulness. You preserved them when they were scattered to the winds and You restored them to their homeland, fulfilling the “times of the Gentiles.” Help them, and help all of us, to hear Your wonderful story and call upon You. Help us all be ready for You are soon to return! Even so, come, Lord Jesus! Amen and amen.

Song:
Redemption Draweth Nigh
Words and Music: Gordon Jenson

1. Years of time have come and gone since I first heard it told
How Jesus would come back to earth someday.
If back then it seemed so real, then I just can’t help but feel
How much closer His coming is today.

Refrain:
Signs of the times are everywhere.
There’s a brand new feeling in the air.
Keep your eyes upon the Eastern skies.
Lift up Your head, your redemption draweth nigh.

2.Wars and strife on every hand and violence fills our land.
Still some people doubt He’ll ever come again.
But the Word of God is true. He’ll redeem His chosen few.
Don’t lose hope for soon Christ Jesus will descend.

Refrain

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

© 2018 Stephen R. Phifer All Rights Reserved

TheJesusStory devotions are also found at KingdomWinds.com.
pathoflifedevotions Uncategorized

July 22 “Noah”

Noah

Many people, when they consider the stories of Noah and Lot, get distracted by details we cannot know and questions we can never answer.
If we take Jesus’ the words as He spoke them, we can avoid those dead-end discussions. Jesus is talking about the future, not the past. Moral and social conditions prevalent in those days will return in the last days. When we see these things, we can know that Jesus is coming soon.

The Days of Noah
Jesus said this:

“…as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man…”

What was the moral and social climate in those days and how will it be replicated in the Last Days? The desires of the flesh were the driving issues in life: eating, drinking, and sex. The spiritual realities of life were deemphasized to the point of exclusion.

We live at the end of what is called Modernity, the modern age. The term many use is Post-modern. This is the age of the physical and the mental with the issues of spirituality shunted to the periphery. Officially, that is according to science, secular education, and contemporary philosophies, man is not a spiritual being at all. He is an animal. This idea has so many expressions:

  • There is no such thing as an eternal spirit.
  • We and everything around us are the results of blind chance.
  • There is no God, no judgment, no afterlife.
  • The only reality is what we see and measure.
  • Truth and morality are what we want them to be.
  • Life has no meaning beyond the meaning we give it.
  • We are creatures of instinct. Our physical urges cannot be controlled.
  • Ends always justify any means necessary for self-fulfillment.

The results of such beliefs are everywhere. The Days of Noah have returned. It is more important for us to understand these things than to puzzle ourselves over how many animals there were in the ark, etc. Jesus is coming soon!

The Days of Lot
Instead of pouring out judgment on the whole sinful world, the Lord judged these two cities for their wickedness. Jesus said that these sins would also return in the Last Days, and they have. This is the age of pleasure.

  • Whatever the body craves is the order of the day.
  • Right and wrong do not enter into the consideration of celebrants today.
  • Lust is the driving force, lust in all its forms and expressions.
  • The creativity of man, which is a gift from God, has fallen so far that artists in all media compete to create the most vile entertainments. Corruption sells. Profanity pours from ruined hearts.
  • Laughter is no longer a medicine for the soul; it is a device for the derision of all that is holy.

In the words of Isaiah, “…he who departs from evil makes himself a prey.”

He came. He’ll come again.
We must consider these unpleasant things. They, too are His story for the story does not end with the four Gospels, or the Book of Acts. It continues into the Revelation of Jesus Christ, the last book in the Bible. His return will be a time of separation. Those who believe will be taken and those who do not will be left behind. Today we can see the extreme relevance of the ancient words of Jesus about the days of Noah and Lot. They have, indeed, returned. Let us be ready for we know that soon Jesus also will return as promised.

Scriptures:
Luke: 17:26-37
And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed. “In that day, he who is on the housetop, and his goods are in the house, let him not come down to take them away. And likewise the one who is in the field, let him not turn back. Remember Lot’s wife. Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it. I tell you, in that night there will be two men in one bed: the one will be taken and the other will be left. Two women will be grinding together: the one will be taken and the other left. Two men will be in the field: the one will be taken and the other left.” And they answered and said to Him, “Where, Lord?” So He said to them, “Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together.”
Isaiah 59:12-15 NKJV
For our transgressions are multiplied before You, And our sins testify against us; For our transgressions are with us, And as for our iniquities, we know them: In transgressing and lying against the Lord, And departing from our God, Speaking oppression and revolt, Conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood. Justice is turned back, And righteousness stands afar off; For truth is fallen in the street, And equity cannot enter. So truth fails, And he who departs from evil makes himself a prey.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I want to be ready when You return. I want to be found faithful in the work You have given me to do. I see this world and its wickedness. Holy Spirit, help me to never be comfortable with the iniquity of this age. May profanity always wound my heart. May obscenities offend my spirit. May I weep over the moral state of the world around me, the injustice, the hate, and the pain and suffering they cause. May Your story always be on my lips. Your are the only hope, Lord Jesus! Even so, Come, Lord Jesus! Amen.

Song:
Even So, Lord Jesus, Come
Words and Music: Terry MacAlmon

Even so, come Lord Jesus, come.
Even so, take Your Bride away;
How my soul longs to be with You my Lord.
Even so, even so, come Lord Jesus, come.

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

© 2018 Stephen R. Phifer All Rights Reserved

TheJesusStory devotions are also found at KingdomWinds.com.