WILL YOU BE GLAD WHEN JESUS RETURNS?

BIBLE PASSAGE:
“And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world
as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come”.
(Matthew 24:14)

MEDITATION:
Are you looking forward the return of our Savior, Jesus Christ? Those
who do not believe God’s Word are most likely unconcerned about His
return. For those who do believe the scriptures, but have not given their
lives to Him, it can be a scary thought. But for those who are His children,
it can be an exciting time of anticipation.

Do you get the feeling that our world is becoming more decadent
and violent and, as a result, you would like to see the return of Jesus
hastened? But at the same time, you want to see it delayed until all
of your family and friends have been saved.

God’s Word tells us that when ‘the gospel of the kingdom is preached
in the whole world’, He will return. All believers are stewards of the
Gospel (proclaiming it was not given to the angels, but to the redeemed).
    “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing
      them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the
      Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have
      commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the
      very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20)

Many forget that every Christian is to be a witness and preach the
Gospel. It doesn’t necessarily mean that we all become pastors and
preach in a formal setting. It doesn’t necessarily mean that we all
become missionaries to a foreign country. But it does mean that we
are all tasked with sharing the Gospel through our lives.

We can share the Gospel with others by the way we live our lives
(the things we do and say). Some of the lost may not be receptive
to the idea of going to church and hearing a sermon, however
many can be impacted when they see that our own faith is alive
and sincere.

Jesus said that when He was resurrected He would send us the
Holy Spirit as our helpmate. When we allow the Holy Spirit to
have control of our lives, we will filter our words, attitudes and
actions so that others can see that Jesus Christ has had an impact
on our lives.

We change from selfishness to selflessness; we change from being
self-centered to being Christ-centered (and ‘others-centered’); we
become givers instead of takers; we have a desire to share our
experience with others. When we yield to the control of the Holy
Spirit, our lives will become a sermon to others.

We can also hasten the return of Jesus by supporting those who
have been called as full time preachers and missionaries. When
we give to our church and the missionary efforts of others, our
unselfish giving confirms our desire to see others saved by the
blood of Jesus Christ. Our giving helps in spreading His Gospel
throughout the world.

When it comes to sharing the Gospel, we are partners with God.
We may not have realized this was part of the ‘package’ when we
gave our lives to Him, but as we mature spiritually, we discover
that He has included us on His ministry team. We help to preach
the Gospel to the whole world through the use of all He has given
us (our talents, our spiritual gifts, our time, our money, our witness, etc.).

ACTION:
Do you consider yourself as part of God’s ministry team? Have
you yielded to the control of the Holy Spirit? Do you consider
others ahead of yourself and your own desires? Or, do your
actions say to others that your wants and needs are the most
important and they come first, (even if it inconveniences others)?
Have you learned to be patient and put your desires ‘on hold’
for the sake of others?

We communicate to others that we are hypocritical if we say we
love Jesus and want to be like Him, but still have a selfish and
self-centered attitude. Do you find yourself focusing on the bad
or good things in others? Never forget that as believers, we are
ordained by God to share His Gospel by the way we live our lives.

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, wherever I go today, make me conscious
of the people I meet. Help me to show Your love in all that
I do. Teach me to be patient and consider others in all that
I do and the choices I make. Forgive me if I have selfishly
been inconsiderate of others. If I have an attitude of ‘me first’
I pray that you will change my attitude so that others can see
You living through me. I want to be like You Lord and minister
to others through all I do and say. I look forward to Your return
and I want others to have the same anticipation. Thank you for
saving me and help me to share Your Gospel by the way I live.”

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