Luke and The Lost

“Whoa, I did not expect this” we say when we are stopped from the normal routine of life to an unexpected occurrence, good or bad. We cannot be prepared for everything except one…Jesus will return. Will we be expecting Him or totally taken off guard when He comes back to claim His own. Jesus wants us to think about it, be prepared with hopeful, excited expectation rather than than be totally taken by surprise. He is lovingly warning us with how to stay in focused with anticipated expectation for Him.

Luke 21, The Message
25-26 “It will seem like all hell has broken loose—sun, moon, stars, earth, sea, in an uproar and everyone all over the world in a panic, the wind knocked out of them by the threat of doom, the powers-that-be quaking.

27-28 “And then—then!—they’ll see the Son of Man welcomed in grand style—a glorious welcome! When all this starts to happen, up on your feet. Stand tall with your heads high. Help is on the way!”

29-33 He told them a story. “Look at a fig tree. Any tree for that matter. When the leaves begin to show, one look tells you that summer is right around the corner. The same here—when you see these things happen, you know God’s kingdom is about here. Don’t brush this off: I’m not just saying this for some future generation, but for this one, too—these things will happen. Sky and earth will wear out; my words won’t wear out.

34-36 “But be on your guard. Don’t let the sharp edge of your expectation get dulled by parties and drinking and shopping. Otherwise, that Day is going to take you by complete surprise, spring on you suddenly like a trap, for it’s going to come on everyone, everywhere, at once. So, whatever you do, don’t go to sleep at the switch. Pray constantly that you will have the strength and wits to make it through everything that’s coming and end up on your feet before the Son of Man.”

The world we live in will be turned upside but Jesus remains the same. I love singing “Praise the Lord, He Never Changes”. This song was written in the 70’s but the words, taken from God’s Word, remain current and hopeful for the world today.

Verse:
Life is moving faster than it ever has before
What tomorrow brings us, isn’t certain anymore
So many paths from which to choose, don’t know which way to run
But every road leads nowhere, every road except for one
Chorus:
Praise the Lord, He never changes, I come to Him, He’s always there
He comforts me on every level, takes the burden that I bear
Praise the Lord, He never changes, He’s never any other way
And He’ll be the same tomorrow, as He was and is today
Verse:
Friends and faces come and go like ashes in the wind
Attitudes arise that I don’t fully understand
The things that you can count upon, grow fewer every day
But when that number gets to one, that one will show the way
Chorus:
Praise the Lord, He never changes, I come to Him, He’s always there
He comforts me on every level, takes the burden that I bear
Praise the Lord, He never changes, He’s never any other way…..
Tag:
And He’ll be the same, tomorrow as He was and is, you know He is today

Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for your loving assurance and unchanging love for us. Help us to stay focused and alert with anticipated expectation for your return.
In Jesus Name, Amen.