Return of Christ

This could be the year. Perhaps on God’s eschatological calendar he chose this year as the time for the completion of his Son’s work of assembling to himself a people for God’s possession. Maybe this year the Church will reach its evangelistic consummation and Christ will be sent to meet the last generation of his Bride face to face. Remember that Jesus’ emphatic and repeated emphasis on no one knowing the date or time of his return was not given to diminish his disciples’ expectation, it was given to increase it. The strategic ambiguity was not to lull his people into inactivity, it was to motivate them work at church growth as though this could be the week! Clearly God wants us to always be ready and expectant of his return! Peter even hints that we can “hasten” the day of Christ’s return as we seek to bring just one more life to the place of repentance and faith in Jesus (2 Peter 3:9 & 12). May we embark on another great season of ministry, mindful that this could be the year.

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Christmas Forgiveness

In this season of giving and receiving gifts, let us never lose our focus on the incomparable grace that was bestowed on us when God decided to give us everything that was needed to free us from the consequences of our sins through the life and death of Jesus Christ. It would seem only right that God would have walked away from our rebellious world, taking all his benefits and gifts with him. But instead, because of our Creator’s incredible love, he paid the high price of redemption by sending his Son to suffer in our place as our judicial substitute. Just as the Apostle Paul pondered the “surpassing grace of God” in 2 Corinthians 9:15 we should all be quick to say “Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!” Merry Christmas!

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Change

Though most of us are inherently opposed to it, change is an important part of God’s good plan for his children. You and I may prefer the cozy security of familiarity, but both the advancement of the church and personal sanctification usually involves large quantities of change. Throughout the Bible we see God changing the setting and a variety of factors in the lives of his people as he moves them into new levels of maturity and effectiveness for his name’s sake. We have certainly been warned that the one constant in the Christian life is the changing nature of the Christian life (2Cor.3:18; Phil.3:12-14). So the next time you find that God’s plan is bringing some uncomfortable periods of adjustment for you, your family or your church, just remember that this is God’s tried and true method of preparing you and positioning you to be all that he wants you to be.

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Thankfulness

Because we live in a world that isn’t great at saying “thank you,” we tend to think that gratitude is an extra-credit Christian virtue. Like our temptation to send a “thank you” note in response to someone’s “thank you” note, we might secretly believe that God should be grateful for our thanksgiving. The Bible, of course, reveals a different perspective. Jesus showed us that gratitude is the minimum expectation of those who are enriched by God’s gifts. When ten lepers are healed of their malady Christ doesn’t praise the one who returns to say “thank you,” he disappointedly asks, “where are the other nine?” (Lk.17:17). The Bible tells us that it is “fitting” and appropriate for his people to praise God (Ps147:1). Certainly we, of all people, should recognize the “gracious hand of God that is upon us” (Ezra 8:18). We should habitually respond with heartfelt thanksgiving, not just on special days and special occasions, but everyday and in every circumstance (1Th.5:18). May God enable us to always fulfill our fundamental duty to express our joyful thanksgiving to our gracious and generous Redeemer!

For more devotionals sermons and resources go to http://www.focalpointministries.org/