Happy New Year! Looking forward to what this new year might bring, I can’t help but wonder if 2012 will be the year when Jesus comes back. But then I also wonder if I’m ready.
All of my life I’ve had to “be ready.” As a child, I had to be ready for dinner by washing my hands. As an adult, being ready for important responsibilities continues to be an ongoing reality. But I’ve come to realize that nothing is more important than being ready for our reunion with Jesus.
Speaking of Christ’s return, John tells us that “everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself” (1 John 3:3). Looking forward to Jesus’ return fills us with hope—not a wish-list kind of hope, but a solid expectation that motivates us to keep our hearts from sinful distractions and rivets our attention on becoming more like Him. If we really believe that this might be the year of His return, we will be more ready to forgive, to seek forgiveness, and to share God’s unconditional love with others.
As we consider the possibility that Jesus could return this year, let’s be sure that we are ready. Let’s strive to be pure as He is pure, anticipating the day when tears and sorrow, pain and death will all be replaced with the everlasting joy of His presence. — by Joe Stowell (Our Daily Bread; 1/1/12)
Expecting Jesus’ soon return
Will help us live a life that’s pure;
For if we’re ready when He comes,
We will not be ashamed but sure. —Sper
Wanting to be ready for Christ’s return will make a difference in the way we live.
READ: 1 John 2:28-3:3
28 And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.
29 If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.
1 John 3
1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
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Mychal,
I am not sure how much it will help but I have done what I can from my (new) site to drive readers to your insightful articles.
http://www.davemacleod.net/forums/links/link/22-mychal-massie-daily-rant/
thank you for what you do.
dmacleo: your efforts are genuinely appreciated…thk you much…
This seems to be the ‘theme’ for this year, my conviction also, Pastor’s sermon Sunday! :D Convicted to pray Acts 4:18-30 and OBEY. May your New Year be a year of Advent and a year of witnessing MORE of the grand orchestration of God’s moving in ‘these last days’! PEACE from God our Father to you and all the brothers and sisters in Christ JESUS.
mrsjb: thk you for your beautiful invocation…
an ‘invocation’? oh, yah, I guess it was.(I was afraid you might think I was just ‘preaching’. lol.)
mrrsjb: was sound message to my ears…
Hi Mychal,
have you seen this?
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/colorblind/201112/colorblind-ideology-is-form-racism
did not see a way to bring this up so posted here.
per some it seems there is no way to not be racist :(
dmacleo: I had not seen this…thks for sharing it…the opinion she offers is in a word scrofulous…she advances an ignorance that places value on color rather than character and inclusion…I condemn it in the harshest terms…
to be honest when I saw it I just felt floored. I felt like no matter what I, as a white person, was going to be continually blamed even though my family helped run underground railroad and joined 20th maine specifically over the slave issue.
I have racist in my direct family (not the underground rr side lol ) , have not spoken to them in a decade,and would not spit on their grave as its a waste of spit.
sorry to hijack thread, this one just hurt me really.