Brace yourself for the Lord's coming

Bro. Lito Dawa
Nov. 18, 2009
 
     As we follow Jesus now, we know that He has come and fulfilled the prophets' predictions. At the same time, we still wait. We wait for the complete fulfillment of his kingdom. Advent not only prepares us for the coming of a King born into a stable, it points to us the eventual return of our King. We, too, cry out "come!"
 
     During Advent, we look to the time when there will be no more tears, or pain, or death. As we wait, Jesus gives us a promise - the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit gives us confidence in our hearts to know that Jesus will come again.
 
     We must be holy (holiness), Godly (Godliness) and righteous (righteousness). Advent is Latin "adventus," the coming of the Lord.
 
1. Letting go

     Let go of all relationships, friendships, grudges, bitterness, affiliations, organizations and distractions that come between you and your relationship with the Lord.

     Do you have friends and relationships that draw you away from God? Dreams and ambitions can be distractions. They're not bad if the Lord is there.
 
     Heb. 12:1 "Let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us."

     Letting  go is not easy, but in many cases it is necessary.
 
2. Staying in the Word, daily

     The Word purifies. "How can the young walk without fault? Only by keeping your words" (Ps. 119:9)
 
     Let us focus, intensify and deepen our relationship with Jesus Christ on a daily basis through the reading and memorization of the Word. If we don't have time, then let us MAKE TIME. That may mean getting up earlier, staying up later, or taking time on our lunch hour, etc., but we ought to do something to impress the Word of God upon our hearts.
 
3. Watch

     We must watch to keep abreast of current events as they relate to Bible prophecy. "The end of all things is at hand. Therefore, be serious and sober in prayers" (1 Pt. 4:7).
 
4. Repent of known sins

     1 Jn. 1:9-10 "If we acknowledge our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive our sins, and to cleanse us from every wrongdoing. If we say, 'We have not sinned,' we make Him a liar, and His Word is not in us."
 
5. Pay off our debts

     Paying off our debts soothes the nerves and brings a good night's sleep. If we stop buying beyond our means, the problem ceases to exist.
 
     Rom. 13:8 "Owe nothing to anyone, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law."
 
6. Get our house in order

     Now is the time to clean out our homes and share, give away things we don't use. Less is more - more tranquility, inner peace and serenity.
 
7. Keep ourselves in the love of God, no matter what

     "Yet I consider life of no importance to me, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I receive from the Lord Jesus, to bear witness to the Gospel of God's grace" (Acts 20:24).

     Comfort one another with the blessed hope of our Lord's return soon. Soon, our worries, concerns and strivings will not matter at all. The only thing that will matter is: how much did we love and praise the Lord Jesus with our lifestyle and with our words?
 
     Soon, we will be changed from glory to glory. We will receive crowns. We will wear a robe of fine linen, our righteousness, our deeds, our work. Let's go for all the glory, in Christ Jesus. He's is coming soon, real soon. Are we ready?