Today’s Podcast
Today’s Scriptures
Today’s Bible reading plans include:
Ready – Luke 17:20-37
Set – Esther 1; Luke 17
Go! – Esther 1-2; Psalms 150; Luke 17
Luke 17:20-37
20 Some Pharisees asked Jesus when the kingdom of God would come.
Jesus: The kingdom of God comes—but not with signs that you can observe. 21 People are not going to say, “Look! Here it is!” They’re not going to say, “Look! It’s over there!” You want to see the kingdom of God? The kingdom of God is already here among you.
22 (to His disciples) Days are coming when you will wish you could see just one of the days of the Son of Man, but you won’t see it. 23 People will say, “Look, it’s there!” or “Look! It’s here!” Don’t even bother looking. Don’t follow their lead. 24 You know how lightning flashes across the sky, bringing light from one horizon to the other. That’s how the Son of Man will be when His time comes.
25 But first, He must face many sufferings. He must be rejected by this generation. 26 The days of the Son of Man will be like the days of Noah. 27 People were eating, drinking, marrying, and being given in marriage. Everything seemed completely normal until the day Noah entered the ark. Then it started raining, and soon they were all destroyed by the flood.
28 It was just the same in the days of Lot. People were eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting, building, and carrying on business as usual. 29 But then came the day when Lot left Sodom—a different kind of rain began to fall, and they were all destroyed by fire and sulfur falling from the sky. 30 That’s how it will be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed.
31 When that day comes, if you’re on the housetop, don’t run inside to try to save any of your belongings. If you’re in the field, don’t bother running back to the house. 32 Remember Lot’s wife. Turning back is fatal for those who do so. 33 If you try to hold on to your life, it will slip through your fingers; if you let go of your life, you’ll keep it. 34 Listen, on the day of the Son of Man, two people will be asleep in bed; destruction will take one and the other will be left to survive. 35 Two women will be grinding grain together; destruction will take one and the other will survive. 36 Two men will be working out in the field; destruction will overtake one and the other will survive.
Today’s Devotional
From today’s background scripture God might say:
My coming again will be sudden and destructive for those not aligned with Me. I gave My disciples some metaphors to compare. Noah, Lot, Lot’s wife all show what My coming will be like when I return. There’s no turning at that point. You choices will have been made. I will come as fast as lightning flashing across the sky and that quickly My return will be over. My bride will be swept up with Me in the air and brought to enjoy the riches of heaven with Me.
The days after My return will be such a disaster, they will make the flood, Sodom’s destruction, and Lot’s wife’s punishment seem like a party at the beach. My wrath will pour out on all who remain for their failure to recognize Me as Lord. Those left behind will wish to die but will not be able to escape no matter how much they long to. Each will feel the full wrath of My punishment for their wickedness.
The only escape comes from joining Me as I pass through the air like lightning. If you’re ready, I’ll take you with Me. If you’re not, you stay behind. There is only one way to stay ready. Believe in Me for the forgiveness of your sins. But believing means more than just knowing that’s why I came to earth. It means doing what I ask you to do. It means following My commands. It means walking away from sin and walking toward the good I ask of you. It means loving Me and loving others. Believing means taking action because of your belief. It’s whole body, mind, and spirit given to Me.
Thinking you can figure out when I’ll come and squeeze in just in time is a risky gamble. I may come in the next storm. Oh, and did I mention that there is a storm somewhere on the planet all the time? So which storm do you want to take a chance on? Do you think I’ll wait for the one that the weatherman says will arrive at your doorstep? Don’t count on it. No one told the people of Noah’s day it would rain except Noah and everyone laughed at him. No one in Sodom believe it would rain fire and brimstone, either, but it did. No one thought a person could turn into a pillar of salt, but Lot’s wife suddenly found out when she looked back at the destruction I was pouring out on that city.
I’ve warned you for two thousand years. Just because My grace has been extended that long doesn’t mean it will be extended another year. It might, but then again…
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