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GLEANINGS FROM THE WORD Experiencing an extraordinary God in ordinary life Issue #473 April 26, 2002 Welcome Back My wife Kathy recently returned from a month long visit with her family in a distant city. On the last few days before her return, I found myself like a little child "counting sleeps." As the number of sleeps before her return got smaller, I found I grew more excited about her return. I knew when she left that she needed to go because her dad was ill. We managed to do all the day-to-day things just fine in her absence. Once I knew the date of her return however, my excitement grew. The closer the time came, the more I realized how much I had missed her. I had a list of things I wanted to get done before her return. The closer the return date drew, the more motivated I was to get them done. I don’t know about you, but I tend to procrastinate if I don’t have a deadline. For Christians, we have something similar to look forward to; Jesus is coming back to get us. We don’t know exactly the day or the time, but He has promised to come back. "Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied. "But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven." Matthew 26:64 NIV "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour" Matthew 25:13 NIV It shouldn’t be a time of fear for those who believe, because He will be coming to take us home. He’s coming to round up His lost sheep and gather them together. My wife was happy to see me. She would have been happy even if I hadn’t accomplished my list, but I felt so much more joy in getting it done before she came back. Do you have things to be done before He returns? If you’ve accepted Him, He’ll accept you whether you have done them or not. But, let’s be honest, wouldn’t you rather the king of the universe came back and found you had been a faithful servant? Don’t you long to hear these words? "His master replied, `Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!' Matthew 25:21 NIV I know I do! Hallelu Yah Kevin Have you accepted Jesus? Are you ready for His return? Are you certain that when He comes back you will be forgiven for the times you have messed up? Email me and I’ll share some Bible verses that explain why a personal relationship with Jesus is so important and a prayer that will make it possible. Or simply begin the relationship by saying a prayer along the lines of: Dear God: I have made many mistakes in my life and done things I am not proud of. I need your love and forgiveness. I believe that you came into this world and gave your life on a cross to pay for my sins and that you defeated death and rose again. Please forgive me, and be the Lord of my life. I give my life to you Lord. Amen If you pray this prayer let me know and I will direct you to some free non-denominational resources that will help you grow in that newfound relationship. Did you know that at Gleanings, we have a dedicated team of prayer warriors and all prayer concerns are kept strictly confidential? Your comments, your questions and your joys are shared with the prayer team, to keep me accountable as the head of the ministry and to encourage them as they see God at work in your life. As with prayer all these things are kept confidential within the Gleanings team. To share your prayer concerns and praise reports email us at corbin_writer@shaw.ca If you enjoy this issue of Gleanings From The Word, email it, in its entirety, to a friend. For information on use of Gleanings in your church newsletter or other situations please visit the permissions page To subscribe or unsubscribe, visit http://hundred-acre-woods.com/magic-list/lists/ or email me at corbin_writer@shaw.ca Archived issues of Gleanings From The Word can be found on our web site http://gleanings.jesusanswers.com To share your thoughts on this issue of Gleanings, or to share prayer concerns email us at corbin_writer@shaw.ca or write us at Gleanings From The Word 114 Oak St Sherwood Park, AB Canada T8A 0V8
© 2002 K.F. "Kevin" Corbin Gleanings From The Word Ministries International All Rights Reserved
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