29/12/2022
BE PREPARED! BE ALERT!AS YOU CELEBRATE!
For many, New Year is just another holiday. For others, itโs a time of deep reflection, both on the past year and on the one ahead.
For Christians,though we celebrate the Graciousness of GOD upon our lifes, we are to pause and reflect on the turning of the calendar.
Moses asked of the Lord, "Teach us to number our days, so we may get a heart of wisdom" (Psalms 90:12).
Times; seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years, is a gift to us from the good GOD.
To wisely follow him, then, is to redeem our time (Eph. 5:16).
As Christians, we know the fragility of human life. We know every breath is a miracle, a gift given to us by our Creator.
That we should remember to live in godliness and holiness in anticipation of His Coming unlike the world.
The Scripture says:
"And what I say to you, I say to everyone: BE ALERT!"
The recurring theme of Scripture concerning the second coming is to BE READY ,and Scripture is not silent on how to prepare:
๐น LIVE IN THE LIGHT OF HIS FIRST COMING.
Do you want to be prepared for Jesusโ second coming? Then live like His first coming mattered.
Jesus spoke parables about His return. In Luke 19:11-27, He told about a nobleman who traveled to a far country to become king. This nobleman called ten of his servants, gave them each a mina (coin), and told them: "engage in my business until I come back".
After an unspecified duration of time, the nobleman returned as king and summoned his servants to give an account of their faithfulness.
The first two servants had been productive with what was entrusted to them. But another servant had done nothing. He simply wrapped his mina in a cloth and hid it. His mistake was that he didnโt act on what he professed to believe. He professed something about his master but didnโt live by his profession, and lost his reward.
Those who profess Christ as Lord and live according to their profession will receive great reward when Jesus returns.
๐นBE DISCERNING.
Twice in Mark 13 Jesus warned His disciples not to be led astray by false claim: "Watch out that no one deceives youโฆ false prophets will arise and will perform signs and wonders to lead astray, if possible, the elect".
Paul warned, "Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to himโฆ. Donโt let anyone deceive you in any way" (2 Thess. 2:1-3).
The warning of Scripture is consistent: use discernment in listening to those who claim to have all the details of the end times figured out, and ignore those who resort to date setting end time events.
๐น ACCEPT THE UNCERTAINTIES.
"Now concerning that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven nor the Son, but only the Father. Watch! Be alert! For you donโt know when the time is coming" (Mark 13:32-33).
If Jesus was content not to know the day or hour, then letโs stop speculating about it. Be content with "no one knows โฆ only the Father."
๐นDONโT LOSE HOPE.
Paul reminded Titus that Jesusโ first coming brought salvation and it instructs us how to live "sensible, righteous, and godly" lives in this present age.
It is our "blessed hopec, the expectation of Jesusโ return that compels us to do so (Titus 2:11-13).
๐นENCOURAGE ONE ANOTHER.
The promise that"the Lord will descend from heaven with a shout" in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 is followed by a command: "Therefore encourage one another with these words" (1 Thess. 4:18).
Again, the affirmation that "the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night" (1 Thess. 5:2) is followed by the exhortation: "Therefore encourage one another and build each other up".
Scriptureโs teachings about the second coming are not given to satisfy our personal fascination with future events but that the body of Christ might encourage one another with the promises.
๐น LIVE AS IF TODAY WAS THE DAY.
If weโre not careful, the delay in Jesusโ return will lead us to complacency.
Living in the expectation that He could return today compels us to live every day for what really matters for eternity.
๐นKEEP ON DOING THE WORK JESUS LEFT US TO DO.
Jesus warned of troubling events as we near the end of the age, including persecution of believers (Mark 13:7-9). Then He added that nothing not even persecution should distract us from the one necessary thing: PREACH t THE GOSPEL TO ALL NATIONS.
To the Unbeliever, Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will not perish.
To the Lukewarm, Wake up for Time is Near!
SEEK THE LORD JESUS CHRIST!๐ฅ๐ข๐กโ๐๐๐๐๐