Anchored in Hope - September 2025 Edition

Awake, Alert, and Prepared: Reflections on Christ’s Soon Return

Sep 30, 2025

Um, where did September go?

September came and went and It must have taken me with it because ya’ll I feel LOST. It’s September 29th as i’m writing this, literally the day before the last day of this month and I just now remembered I was suppose to write my newsletter for this month. All I can say is come Lord Jesus because I have zero idea what i’m about to share in the coming paragraphs of this newsletter. It’ll be as much as a surprise for you as it is for me, haha. I joke, but no seriously, I am so underprepared.

Do you know what this reminds me of? It reminds me of the saying “don’t be caught lacking or don’t be caught sleeping”. Saying that alone is rather vague so let me explain. Just like i’m feeling underprepared for this newsletter, it’s easy to find ourselves underprepared for the second coming of Jesus because ya’ll, He is coming back and He is coming back soon. I truly believe we are in the end times. You can read some of what Jesus said would happen in the end days in Matthew 24:4-14 as well as the end times laid out in its entirety in the book of Revelation for further study if you would like.

It’s one thing to be underprepared for a monthly newsletter. It’s another thing entirely to be underprepared for the second coming of Jesus.

I’m reminded of the parable of the Ten Virgins in Matthew 25:1-13 where Ten bridesmaids prepare to meet the bridegroom, with five being wise and bringing extra oil for their lamps and five being foolish and not. When the groom arrives late, the wise virgins have enough oil to stay lit, but the foolish ones run out. They are unable to enter the wedding feast because they were not prepared for the delay, leaving them locked out. The core message is to remain vigilant and ready, because “you do not know the day or the hour” of Christ’s return.

This is just one area where we are warned to be alert, awake and ready for the second coming of Jesus. There are many other areas of the Bible where we see this as well. (see verses for further reflection below)

I don’t know about you but i’m convicted. Am I awake and ready for the second coming of Jesus? Are you awake and ready?

Verses for further reflection:

Matthew 24:42–44 – “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come… So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”
Matthew 25:1–13 – Parable of the Ten Virgins — emphasizes the need to stay prepared with oil in our lamps. (too long to leave here but I would encourage you to go and read it yourself.)
Mark 13:33–37 – “Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come… What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’”
Luke 12:35–40 – “Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning… You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”
Romans 13:11 – “The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.”

A Prayer for spiritual alertness in the present times

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank you for the person on the other side of the screen who is reading this right now. I know you see them exactly as they are and you love them deeply and wholly. Thank you for who you are and all that you have done to keep us safe during these times that we live in today. Thank you for the many blessings we take for granted. Lord, I come to you in prayer and ask that you would open the eyes of this person’s heart, soul and mind to receive all that you’d like them to receive. Keep them awake during a day and age that wants to force them to fall asleep. Never allow them to fall away but hold them close to you. Help them to know that the time of salvation is nearer than when it was first revealed and that time is coming so soon. Help them to rejoice in that and to hold on to that hope.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen.

Faith Favorites

Here are some of my favorites this month! These may change month to month or they may stay the same depending on how my preferences change each month but i’ll try to change it up for you from time to time!

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But before you go… Have you heard the good news?

At the end of every newsletter from now on I want to share just a paragraph or two on what the Gospel is in easy terms so that if you haven’t heard the Good News, you can and if you haven’t been given the opportunity to give your life to Jesus, you’re able to.

Essentially, in the beginning, God created a perfect world and made humans to live in it according to His good design. But when Satan deceived the first humans, sin entered the world and has affected every person ever since. Because of this, we all fall short of God’s perfect will for our lives. That’s why God sent Jesus—fully God and fully man—who lived a perfect, sinless life. Out of His great love for us, God gave His Son to take the punishment we could never pay ourselves. Now, anyone who turns from sin and trusts in Jesus is forgiven, made right with God, and promised eternal life with Him. This isn’t something we can earn by being “good enough”—it’s a gift of grace that God freely offers to everyone.

If you’d like to receive the good news today and receive Jesus into your heart, repent of your sins (this means to turn away from your sins), believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that He died for your sins and rose again, and then invite Him into your life as your Lord and Savior, often through a personal prayer, to become a new creation in Christ. This act of faith and surrender is a personal decision and commitment between you and God.

An example of a prayer you could pray to invite Jesus into your life is as follows but I invite you to make it personal:

“Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn from my sins and invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as my Lord and Savior. Amen

Thanks for reading!

With love and bunches of grace,

Ashley Hope <3

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