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

Thursday, May 12, 2016

Jesus said: "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions [dwellings]; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself; that where I am, there you may be also."¹

Max Lucado tells how, in 1989, a terrible earthquake in Armenia killed 30,000 people. Among those uninjured were a man and his wife. Their son was in an elementary school that collapsed. The father rushed to the school. He had always told Armon that he would come for him if he was ever in trouble. He worked intensely removing debris trying to find Armon and after thirty-eight hours he heard his child's voice and with the help of other workers freed Armon and the other children.

Armon said, "I told them you would come because you had promised. I told them you would always be there for me. I knew you would return."²

Just as Armon's father promised his son he would always come for him, even more certain is Jesus' promise to his followers. His first coming to earth is an indisputable fact of history. His second coming for his followers is just as certain as he promised that if he went back to heaven, he would come back to earth again to take us to be with him forever. And as every prophecy in the Old Testament regarding Christ's first coming was fulfilled in minutest detail, we can be just as certain that every promise concerning his second coming in the New Testament will also be fulfilled in minutest detail.

The important thing is to be ready for him, as Jesus also said, "So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man [Jesus] will come at an hour when you do not expect him."³ To be sure you are ready for Christ's return, please see "How to Be Sure You're a Real Christian" at: http://tinyurl.com/8glq9.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank You for the wonderful hope that every Christian has in that You came to earth the first time to pay the penalty for all my/our sins, and that You are now preparing a place for Your followers in Heaven. And thank You for Your wonderful promise that when the time is ready, You will come back again to take meâ€"and all Your true followersâ€"to be with You forever. Gratefully in Jesus's name, amen."

1. John 14:1-3 (NKJV).
2. Adapted from Max Lucado, San Antonio, TX.
3. Matthew 24:44 (NIV).

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