“And now, dear children, continue in Him, so that when He appears we may be confident and unashamed before Him at His coming.” 1 John 2:28 NIV
One thing is obvious about all major sporting events in the world: the participants have spent years preparing for those big events. Nobody tries a sport a few times and then qualifies for the Olympics; years of preparation and training are essential. But even then, a few of the athletes still fail miserably or are disqualified when their big event takes place. That is always sad to watch. A much bigger event than the Olympics is coming and we will be enrolled as a participant. That event is the Second Coming of Jesus Christ in power and glory. It will be the most amazing event ever to shake the entire world. Listen to how Jesus described it in Luke 21:25-28, and it is worth taking some time to read it. The question is, “Are you ready for the big event”? We may think, “I’ve trusted in Jesus Christ as my Saviour, so I’m ready.” In one sense, that is true. But the Bible teaches that even as believers, we should be prepared for His return. Jesus concluded His Discourse on the Mount of Olives with warnings to the disciples as found in Mark 13:33-37. We are warned to be on the alert. The apostle John heard Jesus speak those words and has warned us that we are in the last hour, with many deceivers trying to lead us astray from the truth. With this danger in mind, he has given us three tests by which we can detect such false teachers and test our own faith: the moral test of obedience to Jesus Christ; the relational test of love for each other as Christians and the doctrinal test of believing the truth about Jesus Christ.
PRAYER THOUGHT
Holy Spirit, help us to be alert to the coming of Jesus Christ.
PRAYER FOR TODAY
Holy Spirit, as we prepare for the coming of the Lord Jesus, test our faith in terms of the moral test of obedience to Jesus Christ; the relational test of our love for each other as Christians and the doctrinal test of believing the truth about Jesus Christ. AMEN
I.B.R.A. Readings
Mark 8:27-30
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