The Year of Our Lord?

Every year that passes by, I wonder what the next year holds. I've wondered if I would become famous, author a book or another song, meet the president (that's not as glamourous as it used to be), become rich, get terribly sick, travel around the world, or even die! I like to think about the future like that! That sounds crazy, doesn't it? No, I'm not crazy; I'm just me!! :D

However, the greatest possible thing that could happen this year is for Jesus Christ to come and take his children home. I've decided that nothing in my life would be interrupted by his return. I know every young person has thought that they hope they can perhaps go to college, get married, have children, etc. But I have nothing listed above, or elsewhere for that matter, that I would rather have than the return of Jesus Christ!! The implications are endless!!

I guess I could start with the end of all pain! Hallelujah! Thankfully, I have not had to live with much pain, but I know several people that live in constant pain...I want the end of pain just for them! I sometimes wish that I could share the pain to give them some relief. I used to think that some of these wishes for heavens beauty were selfish; now I just know God knew what he was doing when he promised them!!!

Then no more sin! No curse of the old man. No temptation, whether the lust of the flesh, or of the devil. No more sin. Wow! No more political scandals that hurt uninvolved people; no more drug dealers using children as their messengers; No more children abused, women used, or the weak being crushed by the strong. No more survival of the fittest; no more human nakedness used for advertisement; no more babies being killed by pshycos for parents! No more injustice that locks up innocent preachers while nine-time felons walk the streets and golf courses with a freedom they didn't earn. No more claiming Santa is real while denying the existance of God! NO MORE SIN! No more struggle with the world and the devil for our minds and hearts. Thank God!

No more good byes. Now this is a big one!!! I plan on spending a couple dozen lifetimes with each of my dear friends here on earth. How do you make it away from family and friends that you love so dear? This precious promise that we shall know them "as they are known."

But greatest of all, to see Jesus Christ! To see Jesus' face, from which a beard was ripped by the hands of his own creation, justifying even those sins that they were presently committing! What love!!! He was the embodiment of love! Love that would save me, knowing what kind of sorry Christian I would be! What love..."Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all!"

In light of the fact that Jesus could come this year, we should be busier than ever! Souls need to be saved, saints need to be encouraged in the fight, and crowns need to be won for the honor and glory of Jesus Christ.

Do you remember what the angels told the disciples at Jesus ascension? "This same Jesus, which was taken from you, shall so come in like manner, as ye have seen him go into heaven."
What if you had been told that? You would think that Christ was coming in your lifetime!! I believe that's what the disciples thought as well. But, you see, their approach to that line of thinking was different than most Christians today! That is evidenced by their action. They thought, "Jesus is coming back; we've got to get busy evangelizing this world. After all, he said to go into 'all the world.' " The attitude of most Christians today is, "Jesus is coming back, so why bother?" Instead of a motivation for service, the coming of Christ has been the cause of lazy Christianity with the fleeting thought, "I can't wait till Jesus gets me out of here."

What's your attitude? Is it like the disciples? "Jesus is coming back; we need to get busy!" Or is it like modern Christianity? "Jesus is getting us out of here, so why bother?"

I want to be busy when Christ shows up. What about you? If you're not, now's the time to get busy! This could be the year...the year of our Lord!!!

In Christ Alone,
Clay