Daily Encounter: A Week-day Devotional by a staff of ACTS International.

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

"In my Father's home [heaven] there are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I [Jesus] am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me."¹

Do you ever stop to think about the meaning of words? Think of "Christmas" for example which comes from Christ–mass which refers to the time of Christ's birth at Bethlehem 2000 years ago.

Year after year with "tireless regularity and eternal patience" God reminds the world every Christ-mass that he sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to save lost mankind. Christ-mass is also God's continual reminder that Jesus is coming back to earth for all who have accepted him as their personal Lord and Savior.

As Jesus himself promised when here on earth, "I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me."¹

Jesus' first coming is an indisputable fact of history. His second coming to end this world age will be just as certain.

According to Bible scholars there are some 1,845 references in the Old Testament about Christ's coming back to earth and 318 in the New Testament. This means for every prophecy in the Bible about Christ's first coming—every one of which was fulfilled in minute detail—there are eight in relation to his second coming!

Jesus Christ is coming again. God has promised this in his Word, the Bible. Jesus himself promised it as well. The angels at the time of Christ's return to heaven also promised: "This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven."²

And all the signs that Jesus and the Bible said would immediately precede his return are evident today, also reminding us that Christ's return could be soon. If it were today, would you be ready? For help to be sure you are ready, read the article, "How to Be Sure You're a Real Christian" at: www.actsweb.org/christian.

Christmas is also a reminder to all Christians that Jesus has commissioned all of us to help spread his message of Christ's salvation to everyone everywhere.³ Jesus said that, "This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come."⁴ Never has this been more possible than it is today because our generation has the greatest means of worldwide communications the world has ever seen.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, I thank you with all my heart for your great CHRISTmas love gift to me and to the world. In appreciation for all you have done for me, I surrender my heart and life afresh to you. Please make me usable and use me, in whatever way you will, to be a part of your plan to spread the gospel to the world in which I live and in some way to people around the world. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

1. John 14:2-3 (NIV).
2. Acts 1:11 (NIV).
3. Mark 16:15.
4. Matthew 24:14 (NIV).

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