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| Waiting and Watching - Something is About to Happen courtesy pixabzy |
Romans 12:11-14 (NIV)
11
Never
be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in
hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with the Lord’s people who are in need.
Practice hospitality. 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do
not curse.
Today Pastor Jerry announced
that we begin the Advent Season. One of
our Church ladies read the traditions of the Greens and symbols of
Christmas. The greenery represents
"Life,” and the purple candles remind us of "royalty." Then the first purple candle of
“Expectation,” was lit.
The promise was given long
ago and there was an air of anticipation as people waited for their Messiah to
be born.
Although we know how Jesus
came to earth, was born in a manger, lived and died so that we might live, and
went to heaven to prepare a place for us; we also wait and expect his
return. During Advent there is a time of
preparation, as we make ready and renew our commitment to Jesus.
We are in a mood of expectation
waiting and watching for His return.
Something is about to happen. We
often wonder what next?
The prophet Isaiah reminds us
that the Jewish people often forgot about God and they were punished by foreign
nations coming to destroy their cities and take many captive. When they repented and cried out to the Lord, often God stepped in to save them.
One such happening was when the King of Assyria was encamped around them ready to destroy Jerusalem. The people cried unto the Lord and the next morning the King and his army had disappeared. A messenger had sent the king a letter that a rebellion was happening in his Kingdom and he must hurry home to stop it. The result was that Jews enjoyed peace for many decades.
One such happening was when the King of Assyria was encamped around them ready to destroy Jerusalem. The people cried unto the Lord and the next morning the King and his army had disappeared. A messenger had sent the king a letter that a rebellion was happening in his Kingdom and he must hurry home to stop it. The result was that Jews enjoyed peace for many decades.
How then are we to act when
we are delivered? Isaiah suggested that
the people should glorify God and be a light unto all people; to be obedient to
the Lord and live peacefully with one another.
As humans they tended to
backslide and 165 years later the massive kingdom of Babylon came and hauled
off many of the Jews and destroyed their cities. Again God delivered them.
Matthew 24:36-39 (NIV)
36 “But about that day or hour no one
knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the
Father. 37 As
it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.
38 For in the days before the flood, people were
eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah
entered the ark; 39 and they knew nothing
about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the
Son of Man.
Beside all this we know that
the time is near. It behooves us to put
on the armor of light and lay aside all works of darkness. We are not comfortable living in
darkness. Wake up for Salvation is
nearer than when we first believed.
Christ will come at an unexpected time.
Many through out the ages
have predicted a day and even a date. Time
went by and nothing changed; Christ did not arrive as announced, and they returned
to normal times.
Our lives seem secure, yet we
all have issues that touch our families.
Like a thief in the night – things are disrupted.
God is still moving and he
gives us a bit more time to be ready.
We are patiently waiting and
watching!
* * * * * *
This post is shared with
Charlotte’s Spiritual
Sundays
This post is also Linked with Michelle’s Hear it on Sunday
Use it on Monday
5 comments:
Have a blessed and beautiful first week of Advent. Thanks for a lovely and thought-provoking read from Spiritual Sunday.
Great theology and reminder of the truth of our human condition. This isn't the Garden of Eden and we all have to pass from this flesh to be in perfection with Him. Coming indeed.
"Something is about to happen. We often wonder what next?"
Exactly. And I need to be reminded that God will be in the "next" so I should indeed watch with patience and expectation. Thanks for sharing!
Dear Hazel
This reminds me just how our God views time. Being the Creator of time as well, a thousand years to Him is like a day and vice versa. When we get discouraged because it seems as if our King is really taking His time to return, we can just look around us and see His love and mercy when we see how many people are still not in His Kingdom. It is His passionate desire that not one of those would perish, but repent and receive Eternal Life!
Blessings XX
Mia
We should always keep our feet on the ground, and our eyes on the sky. This is a great time of year to once again remember how very blessed we are, and to remember that our Lord and Savior is coming back again!
GOD BLESS!
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