Grace to you and peace from God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
"Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." II Peter 3:18
I guess the first couple of weeks of this new year have been really busy for us, and we have done some extensive traveling to see our children and grandchildren. We started out in Virginia right after Christmas, came home for twenty-four hours and then went to Minnesota to see Holly, Eli, and Shawn. We came home from Minnesota to the sad duty of officiating at the funeral of John Fahrny in Pittsburgh. On the way home from Pittsburgh, we received the phone call that the twins in Virginia were coming sooner than expected, in fact that very night. We got up the next day early and headed to Virginia to see and hold Garrett Denton and Claire Elise for a few hours and headed back home. Whew, slow down…so…
Did you stop to consider that 2012 may be the year that Jesus comes back?
I read in a devotion early in the month this question. Did you stop to consider that 2012 may be the year that Jesus comes back? Has that thought ever crossed your mind? I mean not with any Scriptural backing for the reality of it happening but have you even give thought to the possibility? And are you ready if it happens?
That was the gist of the devotion that if it would happen this year in 2012 the writer said that he was not sure that he would be totally ready. What exactly does it mean to be ready? In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus says that we are to be "on guard" and not let ourselves be weighed down with the worries of life. The day of His coming will come suddenly. Keep on the alert at all times and pray. He says in Mark's Gospel to stay on the alert. His return is like a man going away on a journey and coming back at a later time. He puts his servants in charge until he returns. It could happen at any time of the day or night, and what if He came and found you sleeping? Jesus says in Matthew that if the servant whom He put in charge is found misbehaving at His coming he will be put in that place where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. It falls to him who is faithful until the end. Peter says that the day of the Lord will come like a thief. He says to be diligent to be found by Him (Jesus) in peace, spotless, and blameless. We are not to be carried away by unprincipled men and fall. We are to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
To be ready is to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ that His sacrificial death and resurrection is sufficient to save your soul.
To be ready is to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ that His sacrificial death and resurrection is sufficient to save your soul. It is also to give yourself to Him in every way and in everything. To grow in grace is to understand that what you deserve you will not get because of Jesus Christ and to learn as much about Him as you can. Then try to be as much like Him as is possible with the help of the Holy Spirit. We are to be constant and vigilant in our approach to our faith. We are not to waver or be lukewarm. We should always be alert to the wiles of the devil.
Sometimes busyness is one of those wiles, for we become too busy with life and the worries there of to be alert and constant. We fall back and lack the enthusiasm that is necessary to be faithful always. I am wondering if 2012 is to be the year that many of us would have to say we may not be totally ready.Make sure that the time for Him in your life is always first and that He won't find you sleeping or misbehaving. It may be a good time, this new year to focus more on your walk and your relationship. I invite you all to come to Bible study on Tuesday evening and grow in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior and share in the fellowship. Could it be this year?
See you in church!
February 2012