In the previous post, we talked about using what God has given us to further His kingdom. When Christ returns, how will we answer the question, “what have you done with the talents I gave you?” Another question we might ask ourselves is, “how are we living to prepare for Jesus’ return?” Will He say to us, “Well done, good and faithful servant?” Will there be other people in heaven because of us or other believers who have become more mature because of the work God has done through us? Did we follow His will and fulfill the ministries He gave us? Of course the most important question, is, “Do you know Jesus and is He Lord of your Life?” Does He know you? So, let’s talk about what the Bible says we should do in our lives to prepare for The Day of the Lord. It is going to be a great day for those of us who are in Christ, but terrible for those who have rejected Him. Thanks be to God for His grace! I pray that you have accepted that grace or will accept it.
Matthew 22:1-14
And Jesus answered and spoke to them again by parables and said: “The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come. Again, he sent out other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding.”‘ But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business. And the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them. But when the king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.’ So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests.
“But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. So he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
“For many are called, but few are chosen.”
These words are kind of harsh, but I believe His point is to not reject the free gift of salvation that God offers you. God is patient, but there will be a time when it will be too late. Do not wait. Accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior today. And, that does not just mean praying a prayer so that you escape God’s wrath. It means giving your life to Him, allowing Christ to work in you and change your heart. When you have accepted Christ, you will be sealed by the Holy Spirit who will live in you and direct your paths. You will be changed. That is how one knows that he is born again. He will obtain his wedding garment. Revelations says that the clean white linen is the righteous acts of the saints.
Matthew 16:24-27
Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.”
2 Peter 1:5-11
But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.
Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
As the Day approaches, be strong in your faith and let your faith show by living for Christ. Show love to others and love to God. Shine your light. Live in a way that honors God. Let those around you see Christ in you. Have boldness and share what God has done in your life to those around you while there is still time. As believers, we want to be well pleasing to Him, not because we want to gain His favor or think that is a way to salvation (we know that what He has done is what saves us), but because we love Him. Know that when that day comes, it will be a glorious day when we will be with Him and live eternally with Christ.
2 Corinthians 5:6-11
So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.
Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are well known to God, and I also trust are well known in your consciences.
Let us be ready, always seeking to live for Jesus Christ, to honor Him and to trust Him. Let us look forward to the day of His return with anticipation and excitement. We can be ready for that day by allowing God to work in us and through us.
My Daily Scriptures 
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