November 5, 2015 BE DRESSED IN READINESS
Luke 12:35-37, 40: “Be dressed in readiness, and keep your lamps alight. And be like men who are waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding feast, so that they may immediately open the door to him when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those slaves who the master shall find on the alert when he comes; truly I say to you, that he will gird himself to serve, and have them recline at the table, and will come up and wait on them. You too, be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not expect.”
Jesus is coming back, unannounced, on a certain day at a certain time to receive those that belong to Him; and He expects His people to be expecting Him. Because it has been over two thousand years since Jesus spoke these words, many have no doubt lost the attitude of expectancy concerning His return. The problem is that man does not measure time as God does as we read in 2 Peter 3:8: “But beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” Based on our view of time, a thousand years seems like an eternity, and as a result, our sense of expectancy tends to wane over time. The fact of His coming again for His people should serve as a motivation for being ready at His return. Being ready for His return includes for more than being born again. Doubtless, some believers will not be ready at His sudden coming, and may actually be ashamed when He appears. For sure, it will be the most awkward moment ever for the believer who is about some activity or a living a life style that is not pleasing to the Lord at His return. The real test of our faith, or what we say we believe, will be evidenced by our response at His return. It is also possible that one could be so caught up in this life that he or she does not even desire or look forward to His return. Jesus has instructed us to “be dressed in readiness”, waiting and looking for His return, and those believers that are doing so will be blessed. Being “dressed in readiness” has to do with living life that is consistent with the teachings of scripture. Being dressed in readiness is like having a clean slate with nothing to hide or to be ashamed about when He appears. Having a clean slate does not mean that we live the perfect life, but it does mean that we need to be “current” with the Lord and in step with Him. For example, when we commit a sin, or do something that is not pleasing to Him, we confess that as such, we receive the forgiveness He gives, and we again walk in fellowship with Him. The idea of having a clean slate is far reaching, as it calls for us to examine, or to be alert to the life we live. We are not to be consumed with examining every detail of our life, but we are to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit who searches our heart and who brings to our mind anything that is not pleasing to the Lord. If and when the Holy Spirit convicts us of anything not pleasing to the Lord, we are to agree with what He says, confess it, and then make the necessary adjustment in our life. We must remember that there is nothing about us that is hidden from the Lord. The call for us is to walk in harmony with God, allowing nothing to hinder our fellowship with Him. If we live our lives with a desire to be pleasing to Him in all that we do, and if our actions give expression to that desire, then we have every reason to look for, and welcome, His return. The Lord said that He will have those that are dressed in readiness to “recline at the table” and He would wait on them! Humanly speaking, we can’t understand how this will take place, but by faith we can be assured that our super-natural God fulfills every word He speaks. May each of us have a mindset of expecting His return and may we be “dressed in readiness” when He appears to receive His people.
Revelation 22:12: “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing My recompense with Me, to repay everyone for what he has done.”
Acts 1:11: “And said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw Him go into heaven.”
1 Thessalonians 3:13: “So that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints.”
Blessings,
Buddy
Luke 12:35-37, 40: “Be dressed in readiness, and keep your lamps alight. And be like men who are waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding feast, so that they may immediately open the door to him when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those slaves who the master shall find on the alert when he comes; truly I say to you, that he will gird himself to serve, and have them recline at the table, and will come up and wait on them. You too, be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not expect.”
Jesus is coming back, unannounced, on a certain day at a certain time to receive those that belong to Him; and He expects His people to be expecting Him. Because it has been over two thousand years since Jesus spoke these words, many have no doubt lost the attitude of expectancy concerning His return. The problem is that man does not measure time as God does as we read in 2 Peter 3:8: “But beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” Based on our view of time, a thousand years seems like an eternity, and as a result, our sense of expectancy tends to wane over time. The fact of His coming again for His people should serve as a motivation for being ready at His return. Being ready for His return includes for more than being born again. Doubtless, some believers will not be ready at His sudden coming, and may actually be ashamed when He appears. For sure, it will be the most awkward moment ever for the believer who is about some activity or a living a life style that is not pleasing to the Lord at His return. The real test of our faith, or what we say we believe, will be evidenced by our response at His return. It is also possible that one could be so caught up in this life that he or she does not even desire or look forward to His return. Jesus has instructed us to “be dressed in readiness”, waiting and looking for His return, and those believers that are doing so will be blessed. Being “dressed in readiness” has to do with living life that is consistent with the teachings of scripture. Being dressed in readiness is like having a clean slate with nothing to hide or to be ashamed about when He appears. Having a clean slate does not mean that we live the perfect life, but it does mean that we need to be “current” with the Lord and in step with Him. For example, when we commit a sin, or do something that is not pleasing to Him, we confess that as such, we receive the forgiveness He gives, and we again walk in fellowship with Him. The idea of having a clean slate is far reaching, as it calls for us to examine, or to be alert to the life we live. We are not to be consumed with examining every detail of our life, but we are to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit who searches our heart and who brings to our mind anything that is not pleasing to the Lord. If and when the Holy Spirit convicts us of anything not pleasing to the Lord, we are to agree with what He says, confess it, and then make the necessary adjustment in our life. We must remember that there is nothing about us that is hidden from the Lord. The call for us is to walk in harmony with God, allowing nothing to hinder our fellowship with Him. If we live our lives with a desire to be pleasing to Him in all that we do, and if our actions give expression to that desire, then we have every reason to look for, and welcome, His return. The Lord said that He will have those that are dressed in readiness to “recline at the table” and He would wait on them! Humanly speaking, we can’t understand how this will take place, but by faith we can be assured that our super-natural God fulfills every word He speaks. May each of us have a mindset of expecting His return and may we be “dressed in readiness” when He appears to receive His people.
Revelation 22:12: “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing My recompense with Me, to repay everyone for what he has done.”
Acts 1:11: “And said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw Him go into heaven.”
1 Thessalonians 3:13: “So that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints.”
Blessings,
Buddy
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