This Same Jesus

       A world riddled with violence, sin, and every form of darkness stops to celebrate the birth of someone they have refused to acknowledge that His life, living, death, and resurrection are for them. Indeed a paradox! A world that believes that as long as they celebrate or remember Him as an innocent, defenseless, and harmless babe living in a manger, He will not return or at least, will delay His return. Some have even gone to the extent to say He has returned and is walking among us. They are not the only ones to be fooled so. 

       When Jesus was giving the final instructions to His disciples before He ascended to Heaven, it was as if there were cotton balls stuffed in their ears! Jesus explicitly told them: "While He was together with them, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the Father’s promise. “This,” He said, “is what you heard from Me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now" (Acts 1:4-5, HCSB). And the disciple's reply...: "So when they had come together, they asked Him, “Lord, are You restoring the kingdom to Israel at this time" (Acts 1:6 HCSB)? I thought they would have asked to know more about the Holy Spirit. What and how they will go about the business of the Kingdom. No! 

       They were particular in their personal and political interests! I mean, if Jesus were to restore the physical kingdom of Israel as they desired, I'm sure many of them may have thought of themselves as governors, councilors, or some chief official of the state! This was why when He was taken up, the Angels told them explicitly, "They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up into heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come in the same way that you have seen Him going into heaven" (Acts 1:11, HCSB). Sadly today, rather than focus on Heaven from where we eagerly await our Saviour, we are very focussed on the 'sweet' things on the earth; thus, it pays to continually see Him as a child; by Easter, kill Him, in December, bring Him back as a child! 

       After the Holy Spirit came on the Disciples, the Bible tells us they continued to break bread each day from house to house, signifying the life, death, resurrection, and return of Jesus Christ! They never gathered on any day throughout their years to celebrate His birthday, and to wish everyone 'kindness and peace',  so the world will know and understand the 'love' of God! Beloved, the whole world will be in for a surprise because This Same Jesus is Returning! Not as a babe but as The Conquering God King! In the same manner, He was taken up, the same manner He will return - meaning ALL EYES will see Him! 

       You may scoff and say, 'they have been saying that for thousands of years!' True! But let me remind you of something. He is returning as the Conquering King to judge a wicked and evil world that has refused His Kingship! If you leave this earth before this event, then you will go through the judgment before those that are alive: "And just as it is appointed for people to die once — and after this, judgment —" (Hebrews 9:27, HCSB). So whether living or dead, none will escape this judgment! This is not to scare you, but actually to awaken you, to sit up for yourself and look again in the mirror of God's Word and adjust accordingly. 

       The birth, life, death, resurrection, and His return were not meant to metamorphose into a religion but to be taken as a way of life. It is a lifeline to a dying world; a pattern to live in and by as the ages draw to a close. 

        Beloved, Ignorance is not an excuse to be foolish! Arise, and look again at the light you claim to carry, examine yourself and make sure you are still in the faith and have not been swept away through tolerance and compromise to the standards that are not of God: "Therefore take heed that the light which is in you is not darkness" (Luke 11:35, NKJV). God bless you as we await His Soon Return, in Jesus Christ name!