January 24: Philippians 4:5; 1 Thessalonians 4:16–18; 1 Thessalonians 5:22–24; James 5:8; 2 Peter 3:14; Revelation 22:20; Genesis 49:11; Isaiah 5:1–2; Jeremiah 2:21; John 15:1–2; John 15:4; John 15:8; Galatians 5:19; Galatians 5:21–23 - a podcast by Crossway

The Lord is at hand.

For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words.—He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace.—Abstain from every form of evil. Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.

You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.

Philippians 4:5 (Listen)

5 Let your reasonableness¹ be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand;

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1 Thessalonians 4:16–18 (Listen)

16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.

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1 Thessalonians 5:22–24 (Listen)

22 Abstain from every form of evil.

23 Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.

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James 5:8 (Listen)

8 You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.

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2 Peter 3:14 (Listen)

Final Words

14 Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace.

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Revelation 22:20 (Listen)

20 He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

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“The choice vine.”

Let me sing for my beloved my love song concerning his vineyard: My beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill. He dug it and cleared it of stones, and planted it with choice vines;… and he looked for it to yield grapes, but it yielded wild grapes.—“Yet I planted you a choice vine, wholly of pure seed. How then have you turned degenerate and become a wild vine?”

Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality… envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch of mine that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit…. Abide in me, and I in you…. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.”

Genesis 49:11 (Listen)

11   Binding his foal to the vine
    and his donkey’s colt to the choice vine,
  he has washed his garments in wine
    and his vesture in the blood of grapes.

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Isaiah 5:1–2 (Listen)

The Vineyard of the Lord Destroyed

5   Let me sing for my beloved
    my love song concerning his vineyard:
  My beloved had a vineyard
    on a very fertile hill.
2   He dug it and cleared it of stones,
    and planted it with choice vines;
  he built a watchtower in the midst of it,
    and hewed out a wine vat in it;
  and he looked for it to yield grapes,
    but it yielded wild grapes.

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Jeremiah 2:21 (Listen)

21   Yet I planted you a choice vine,
    wholly of pure seed.
  How then have you turned degenerate
    and become a wild vine?

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John 15:1–2 (Listen)

I Am the True Vine

15 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.

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John 15:4 (Listen)

4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.

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John 15:8 (Listen)

8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.

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Galatians 5:19 (Listen)

19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality,

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Galatians 5:21–23 (Listen)

21 envy,¹ drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do² such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

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