Tag: The Second Coming

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Unexpectedly

Daily Thought

Luke 12-13

Daily Thought

My dad popped into my room every so often just to see how I was doing, and, I suspect, to see what I was doing. I did not have a lock on my bedroom door–by design of my parents. It was my bedroom, but it was Mom and Dad’s house. No locking them out. Sometimes he knocked; more often he did not. My bedroom door would suddenly swing open and Dad would enter, which meant the door could suddenly unexpectedly swing open anytime. Some of my friends hid stuff and did stuff in their rooms, stuff they did not want their parents to see. Not me.

“You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” ~Luke 12:40

After his resurrection, Jesus met with his disciples and told them to go everywhere and share the good news of God’s love with everyone. Then he disappeared into the heavens and the disciples were left staring. “And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven’” (Acts 1:10-11). 

Suddenly. Unexpectedly. Be ready.

This is not to be a message of fear, however, but wonderful anticipation. “Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them” (Luke 12:37). Jesus is more anxious to return than we are to see him. He cannot wait to set the table and serve a feast. 

“Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give to the needy.” ~Luke 12:32-33

Fear may be an effective deterrent against doing what is bad, but it does not make one good. Love does. 

We love because he first loved us. ~1John 4:19

Daily Prayer

Heavenly Father, we live in a world You created for us, a world that is good. I am so sorry for the bad I bring into it, and I am looking forward to the day Jesus comes and makes everything good again. I am amazed at Your love for me in spite of the way I mess things up. I am not just sorry, though. I will turn around and be a part of bringing good back into this world. Because You love me this much, how can I not do otherwise!

I pray, God, that the good things people see will turn their eyes toward You. May I live every moment eager for Your coming and hunger for Your blessings as much You love to bless me.  

Amen

Daily Question

How ready are you Jesus to show up at any moment? 

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Believe Him

Daily Reading

Isaiah 45-48

Daily Thought

God used prophets such as Isaiah to teach his hard-headed people to trust him, “because I know that you are obstinate, and your neck is an iron sinew and your forehead brass, I declared them to you from of old, before they came to pass I announced them to you” (Isaiah 48:4-5). 

For instance, Isaiah said, “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14). Seven hundred years later, an angel appeared to a girl named Mary and told her she will give birth to the son of God (Immanuel means “God with us”). Mary responded,  “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” (Luke 1:34).

“The former things I declared of old;
they went out from my mouth, and I announced them;
then suddenly I did them, and they came to pass.” ~Isaiah 48:3

“There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse,” announced Isaiah (11:1), “in the tent of David” (16:5). The first verse of the first Gospel begins “the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, and Jesse the father of David the king” (Matthew 1:1, 6). 

John the Baptist announced Jesus, “preaching in the wilderness of Judea, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand’” (Matthew 3:1-2). Isaiah, 700 years earlier, forecast John, “a voice cries: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God’” (Isaiah 40:3). 

Isaiah even knew how and why Jesus would die, “he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5), and Jesus said to his disciple, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe” (John 20:27).

God speaks and it happens.

“Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11). 

Believe him. Trust him. What he says, he does. 

Daily Prayer

Saving God, Immanuel, God with us. You promised a Savior, You sent Your Son. Thank You for Jesus Christ, my Savior, my Lord, my God. I trust You in all things. You are the God of Your Word. May I be a man of my word, as well.

O Lord, You are faithful and true. You said Your Son would come. He did. You said He is to come again. He will.

Amen

Daily Question

Do you believe Jesus will come again? Why or why not?

Posted on

Unexpectedly

Daily Thought

Luke 12-13

Daily Thought

My dad popped into my room every so often just to see how I was doing, and, I suspect, to see what I was doing. I did not have a lock on my bedroom door, by design of my parents. It was my bedroom, but it was Mom and Dad’s house. No locking them out. Sometimes he knocked, more often he did not. My bedroom door would suddenly swing open and Dad would enter, which meant the door could suddenly unexpectedly swing open anytime. Some of my friends hid stuff and did stuff in their rooms, stuff they did not want their parents to see. Not me.

“You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” ~Luke 12:40

After his resurrection, Jesus met with his disciples and told them to go everywhere and share the Good News of God’s love with everyone. Then he disappeared into the heavens and the disciples were left staring. “And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven’” (Acts 1:10-11). Suddenly. Unexpectedly. Be ready.

This is not to be a message of fear, however, but wonderful anticipation. “Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them” (Luke 12:37). Jesus is more anxious to return than we are to see him. He cannot wait to set the table and serve a feast. Fear may be an effective deterrent against doing what is bad, but it does not make one good. Love does. “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give to the needy” (Luke 12:32-33). 

We love because he first loved us. ~1John 4:19

Daily Prayer

Heavenly Father, we live in a world You created for us, a world that is good. I am so sorry for the bad I bring into it, and I am looking forward to the day Jesus comes and makes everything good again. I am amazed at Your love for me in spite of the way I mess things up. I am not just sorry, though. I will turn around and be a part of bringing good back into this world. Because You love me this much, how can I not do otherwise!

I pray, God, that the good things people see will turn their eyes toward You. May I live every moment eager for Your coming and hunger for Your blessings as much You love to bless me.  

Amen

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Thy Kingdom Come

Daily Reading

Matthew 24-25

Daily Thought

A theologian named Harold Camping was setting dates and making all sorts of noise about the second coming of Jesus. It would on May 21, 2011, he announced. Those who listen to Jesus rather than Harold went on with life as usual that day, not because they do not believe Jesus is coming back, but because they do not believe Harold knows when; “See that no one leads you astray, concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only” (Matthew 24:4, 36).

Followers of Jesus do not expect Jesus to return on a certain day, they expect him any day and that makes anticipation a part of every day, which makes a difference in life as usual. Life as usual, then, for those always prepared for the second coming of the King of kings includes giving food to the hungry, drinks to the thirsty, welcoming strangers and clothing naked people, and visiting the sick and those in prison. 

“For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.” ~Matthew 25:35-36

This is the true surprise about the return of Jesus, not that he is coming back or when he is coming back, but that he has been here the whole time.

“Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’” ~Matthew 25:37-40

More important than anticipating Jesus could return at any time is knowing Jesus is already here all the time.

Daily Prayer

Heavenly Father, You came to save the world, and You told the world You will return. God, may all find Your salvation, so that all will be prepared when You come back. Even though I don’t know the day, may I live everyday anticipating your coming, that great day of the Lord.

Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Amen