Greg Laurie Daily Devotion - June 16, 2010

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Living with Anticipation

He who is the faithful witness to all these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon!" Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!
—Revelation 22:20

We can study Bible prophecy all day long, but if it isn't impacting the way that we live, then we are missing the point. As 1 John 3:2-3 tells us, "Dear friends, we are already God's children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is. And all who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, just as he is pure." Living in the light of Christ's imminent return should make a difference in our behavior.

So periodically we should be asking ourselves, Is this place that I am about to go or this thing that I am about to do something that I would be embarrassed about if Jesus were to come back? If the answer is yes, then I would suggest that you not go to that place or do that thing. This is the message being conveyed in 2 Peter 3:10, 14: "But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment. . . . And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in his sight."

Jesus said, "Yes, I am coming soon!" (Revelation 22:20). With the apostle John, we should be able to say in response, "Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!" Anything that would prevent that answer indicates something that is out of place in our lives. We should be waiting for the Lord's return—not with dread, not with fear, but with joyful, anxious anticipation and excitement.

Copyright © 2010 by Harvest Ministries. All rights reserved. 
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved. 

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