Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely , whatever is of good report, if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, ponder on these things. - Philippians 4:8

Saturday, July 14, 2012

IS IT HERE YET?


And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. - Philippians 3:20b (NLT)

      It happens to all of us whether we like it or not, unless of course we're dead. Some people try their best to deny it while others look forward to it with great anticipation. Every year we have a birthday and every year Harold Peterson has a birthday and every year he can't wait for it to arrive and in the process of waiting he drives his entire family crazy.

     The year he got Muffy was most likely the worst year. Most years Harold waited until a month before his birthday before he started in with the “Is my birthday here yet?” routine but on this particular year he started two months early. I'm not sure if he couldn't read a calendar or just loved driving his family, and everyone else for that matter, crazy.

     It started the Monday morning after Stella's birthday when he asked his mom if he could have his birthday early because Stella had her birthday early. “Stella didn't have her birthday early.” his mom told him, “She had it right on her birthday and you know that.” “But it was earlier than mine.” Harold complained “I shouldn't have to wait.”

     Seeing that he couldn't get any where with his mom, Harold next tried to convince his dad that he should be allowed to celebrate his birthday early. “But, two months is too long to wait.” Harold told hid dad, “If I have to wait that long I'll die” “Well than, hurry up and die.” his dad told him, “So we don't have to keep listening to you ask about your birthday. In the mean time you can wait for it like the rest of us.”

     Trying to get his birthday here quicker, Harold tried to trick everybody by messing with the calender but that almost back fired because he eliminated too many days and made it looked like his birthday was already over. Harold finally settled on asking everyone if his birthday was here yet 50 times a day and telling them he couldn't wait for it to come.

     After two weeks of this Harold's mom told him that of he didn't quit asking if his birthday was here yet he would be celebrating it with his uncle Ralph. That sounded great to Harold until he remembered that his Uncle Ralph was buried in the cemetery. Not wanting to forgo his birthday, Harold finally decided to wait patiently or at least try.

     After several weeks of silents and with only one day until his birthday Harold's dad asked him what he wanted to do for his birthday and what he wanted. It was at that point that Harold realized that in all his anticipation for his birthday he had forgot to prepare for it. He didn't know what he wanted to do or what he wanted.. He wasn't ready and secretly hoped his birthday would wait.

     Anticipation, something we eagerly look forward to. While we may not have drove everyone crazy while waiting for our birthdays to come, I'm sure many of, none the less, looked forward to our birthdays in our younger years and maybe still do.

     Birthday's aren't the only thing people look forward to. It could be a wedding day, an anniversary, pay day, mail, holidays, vacations, the fair, the weekend, a visit, supper, the dentist, bills, changing a dirty diaper, well maybe no those last three. Above all of these things there is something that we should be eagerly looking forward to coming but we may not be.

     2 Peter 3:10-15 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, (NASB)

     I suppose if we're living outside of Christ we may not want Christ to return but we are to look for that day wanting it to come quickly and we should live as if we can't wait for it to get here.
  • Jude talks of waiting anxiously - keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life. Jude 1:21 (NASB)
  • Philippians talks of waiting eagerly as well as Hebrews - But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. Philippians 3:20 (NLT)
  • so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him. Hebrews 9:28 (NASB)
     We may talk of wanting and looking forward to Christ's return but are we living in a way that says “Bring it on?” If Christ came today would we be ready? IN Luke 12:35-40 Jesus talks about being ready looking for His return because we don't know when that day will come.

     "Be dressed in readiness, and keep your lamps lit. "Be like men who are waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding feast, so that they may immediately open the door to him when he comes and knocks. "Blessed are those slaves whom the master will find on the alert when he comes; truly I say to you, that he will gird himself to serve, and have them recline at the table, and will come up and wait on them. "Whether he comes in the second watch, or even in the third, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves. "But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have allowed his house to be broken into. "You too, be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not expect." (NASB)

     Here's Something To Ponder
  • Are you eagerly waiting for Christ to return?
  • Can anyone tell?

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