Taking one last look at Facebook last night, I came across this New Year’s wish from a friend:
May the new year be better than the last!!!!
And, dear reader, I do hope that is true for you and yours.
However, when I first digested those words they came through as:
May the new year be the last!!!!
Now, that might seem for like a New Year’s curse instead of New Year’s blessing, but I would suggest that the greatest blessing we can all hope for is Jesus’ return:
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away (Revelation 21:3-4, English Standard Version, emphasis mine).
He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! (Revelation 22:20)
I will admit I’m a little apprehensive about the Second Coming. I mean personally apprehensive, not just worried about the billions who will no longer have the opportunity to accept the free gift of salvation. I trust my Lord…I just don’t trust myself.
How about you? Do these words make you exclaim, “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!”?:
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world (Matthew 25:31-34).
“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels (Matthew 25:41).
And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life (Matthew 25:46).
I could lie to you and claim I have no concerns and no doubts…but our Father knows my true heart. This world is messed up; it needs Jesus. Although I pray that there is an awakening and everyone on earth willingly bows at the feet of our Savior, my wish…beyond blessing for you in 2014…is…
May the new year be the last.
For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience (Romans 8:22-25).