7-8-2022

 Good Morning!    

    John 14:6; “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”

     Some of you may remember, or at least remember hearing, the story of Gen. Douglas MacArthur when he was leaving the Philippines. As the Japanese troops were about to overrun the islands, he said to the people who were there, “I shall return.”  A few years later, when the United States armed forces returned to the Philippines he stated, “I have returned.”  It took a few tries to get it good enough for the news reels.  But he did come back.  For those of you who are somewhat younger, you might remember the Terminator telling everyone, “I’ll be back.”

    The promise to return is one of the greatest promises a loved one can make.  The promise to return to the ones whom we love is a very powerful ideal to hold to.  There are numerous stories of soldiers who fought on with only the dream of returning home as the driving motivation.  It is also strong motivation for those who are waiting for that loved one to return.  You remember the last thing they told you, you remember the last time you touched each other and the tenderness of the moment.  So, you wait for them to return.  You hold onto that promise to be fulfilled.

   That is where we are, we are waiting for Jesus to return.  He returned to his throne in heaven with the promise that he would come again and take you to himself.  This is what we look forward to.  We wait with joyful anticipation for Jesus to return.  For when he returns, he will restore creation to its original state of perfection and completion.

     This is what Advent is really about; we are looking forward to Jesus’ return.  We pray for it in the Lord’s Prayer: “thy kingdom come.”  It is what we long for because it is at this time that all pain and sorrow, all sadness and weariness will disappear.  This is when we will be raised with our glorified bodies to live in eternal bliss with our Savior.  So, Advent is about waiting for the return of Jesus.  We wait with joyful expectation that Jesus will keep his promise.

     We are to be a people who look forward to the coming of Jesus. We wait excitedly but we continue to live the life that is laid out before us, but we look forward to tomorrow, to the tomorrow when Jesus returns.  Yet we know our future is secure.  So, we can use the time here on earth doing those things which God enables us to do.  We can go about caring for our neighbor and caring for creation.  These are two very God-pleasing activities.  We can do this while we wait for Jesus to return and to take us home.

Dearest Lord Jesus, we anxiously wait for you to return and bring to completion the restoration of creation to perfection.  While we wait, use us to bring peace and comfort to those who need it and to share your wondrous word of salvation.  Help us to reach out to the lost and the hurting.  We especially ask that you give the comfort to our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ who are experiencing pain at this time. Remind them that it is only temporary.  In Your precious name we pray, amen

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret