Advent and Christ’s Return
December 2, 2010
Hope is in short supply these days. As America’s political climate sours and our economy stagnates, discouragement and negativity seem to be the companion of many! But this doesn’t have to be. God is inviting us to place our hope and confidence in Him and not in man. When we do that our hope will increase, even while we live in a world that seems so barren of that rare commodity.
The Bible promises us a ‘blessed hope.’ In Titus we read that “the grace of God has appeared bringing salvation for all people.” This grace is found in the person of Jesus Christ. When we look to Him it “trains us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions… waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.” (Titus 2:11-13)
God has only one way to direct our hearts from fear, anxiety, depression and despair in this fallen world. As we live our lives in a world that is filled with sin and injustice, God is inviting us to place our confidence and faith in Jesus, who will one day return and set everything right. It is through Him we can discover the abundant life here and now and it is through Him we can look to the future with a certainty and hope. It is that hope that becomes the fuel for our joy, happiness and well being.
As we celebrate this Christmas and the Advent season, let us remember this hope we have in Christ. Yes Jesus came as a babe in a manger! But let us remember that one day He will come again to bring justice on earth and salvation to all who believe. One day He will set all things right and show us His glory. So don’t let the condition of the world drive you towards fear and despondency, but allow the promise of His advent and coming turn your heart towards worship and celebration in Jesus’ name.
December 3, 2010 at 7:00 am
WOW! Talk about God’s timing… I was just having this very conversation with my co-worker about the angst you can sense in a persons voice, facial expressions and body language. I work in an area where many people have alot of money and prestige but they are so empty. They complain about how much they are being charged for their dental work while out of the other side of their mouth, they are telling you how their house in Florida is being renovated and when it’s completed it will be 3,ooo sq. ft.or more. Regardless of what they have, they are anxious, self centered and they don’t have a clue.
It sends chills down my spine that we are living the realities of what the bible says about the last days and the “hopelessness” of man.I witness Matthew 24:12 on a daily basis and I realize over and over again the reality of Jesus Christ in my own life and what He has done for all of us. Though this is a “season” in the calendar year, I am reminded of what God the Father did for us through His Son. The freedom that He has given to us is their for the taking and it saddens me when I see people hold on to the things of the world that will never satisfy.
Just when I think I really understand the magnitude of it all, Christmas comes again and I remember as a little girl how I couldn’t wait to put baby Jesus under the tree. I am reduced yet again and reminded that “I’m not all that.” How He knew us before He put us in our mothers womb…..and the plans He has for each one who belongs to Him is nothing short of Who He Is, The great I AM!