Scripture:
James 5:7-8; Revelation 22:7, 20
Tue, 31 May 2022

Christ Returning in This Generation?

Observation:

How are we to look at the Second Coming of Christ?

Deeper Reflection
THROUGHOUT THE HISTORY OF THE CHURCH, EVERY generation thinks that Christ will return in their generation. Just to give perspective: the great reformer Martin Luther and his generation also thought so.Martin Luther’s “numerous pronouncements on the end of all things are reminiscent of statements made often before his time…Luther lived in a stormy age, seething with new ideas and revolutionary concepts and groaning with the agonies of a laborious rebirth (renaissance). He stood in the midst of the tempest that resulted in many ideological and armed conflicts; but what caused the greatest anxiety to his age, especially 1528 to 1530, was the constant menace of the Ottoman onslaught. This threat had been hovering over the West ever since the Mohammedans succeeded, in 711, in entering Europe by the western gate of Spain; and the situation became alarming when later the seemingly irresistible pressure from the East placed Europe in a huge pincer which threatened to crush it. As the Ottomans approached Vienna, the mounting anxiety was reflected in Luther’s writings and talks. This caused him to preach a crusade against the Ottomans. (Luther applied Gog and Magog to the Ottomans [Eze 38-39; Rev 20:7-10]). And Luther was so impressed by the precariousness of the times in 1528 that he expected the end to come before he had time to finish the translation of the Old Testament”66.“The coming of the Lord is near” (Jas 5:8). As to when, we never know. But this we know: Every day is one day nearer. And our posture must be: Be urgent and patient – without the unnecessary “eschatological hypes”.
66 ww w.ministry magazine.org/archive/1951/12/martin-luther
Application:

How is being patient until the coming of the Lord relevant to me?

Prayer:
Write a prayer to God as your response from your meditation on and application of the Scriptures.
Prayer Pointers:
  • Give thanks and praise
  • Pray for pastors and staff: To grow in patience with a strengthened heart
  • Pray for significant people
  • Pray for those in need
  • Pray for self

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Daily Devo
Daily Devotional Journal
Scripture:
Daniel 5:17, 25-31; 6:1-2
Mon, 5 June 2023

Serving from Babylon to Persia

Observation:

What is the significance of Daniel serving in the Babylonian and Persian
courts successively?

Deeper Reflection
God’s word to Belshazzar that He would “put an end” to his kingdom and give it “over to the Medes and Persians” was fulfilled immediately – “that same night” (v.30) – after Daniel’s interpretation of the inscription on the wall (vv.25-31). God can fulfil His Word immediately or after a long time. Whatever time God may take to fulfil His Word, He is “trustworthy in all His promises and faithful in all He does” (Psa 145:13b, NIV).The demise of the Babylonian hegemony was not just a historical event, but primarily a theological one. Nebuchadnezzar was “My servant” whom God raised to judge His unfaithful people in the seventy-year Babylonian exile (Jer 25:8-9, 11). When God had accomplished His purpose through Babylon, “I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation” (Jer 25:12). This is how God deals with arrogant and evil nations: “And Babylon, the beauty of kingdoms, the glory of the Chaldeans’ pride, will be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah” (Isa 13:19).The end of Babylon does not mean an insecure future for Daniel. However drastically our circumstances may change, God’s call for our lives remains when we walk with Him faithfully. We are secure in God’s call, because it is God’s call. Daniel became one of “the three commissioners” in Persia (Dan 6:1-2). It wasn’t that having lost his job Daniel applied to serve the Persian king. Daniel couldn’t do that. It was purely by royal appointment. But behind the “It seemed good to Darius to appoint” (Dan 6:1) was God’s call for Daniel to serve Him from Babylon to Persia.
Application:

How do I relate God’s call for me in drastic changes of my life situations?

Prayer:
Lord, I believe You have a calling for my life which You have intended to be distinctive for me. I want to live my life with a deep sense of answering Your calling. Help me to walk with You faithfully, knowing that as I do so, You will unfold Your plans for me in that calling. Grant me wisdom and understanding to discern Your calling for my life.
Prayer Pointers:
  • Give thanks and praise
  • Pray for leaders
  • Pray for significant people
  • Pray for those in need
  • Pray for self
 

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