Bible Reading: Zephaniah 1; 2; 3; Revelation 16.
Memory Verse: “Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.” Revelation 16:15 (KJV).
Isaiah 9:6 (KJV) says “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” The birth of Jesus was prophesied by Isaiah, more than 700 years before the Lord was born. Jesus came to take the sin of the world away and to give us righteousness. He came to set the captives free, and reveal to us that which were hidden to mankind before his coming to the world. But more importantly, he came to show us how we can become the children of God, and thus, live with God in heaven and not end up in hell, which is the destination of unbelievers!
Jesus came to the world to show us the way and was a living example unto us. He was born in a manger (Luke 2:7) thus identified with the low estate of men and he preached love all through up to the time of his crucifixion (Matthew 5:44-48). Before he left he admonished us to live a life pleasing unto him by accepting him as our Lord and Saviour, living a life of obedience to his words and impacting the lives of others positively. He promised us that everybody will give account of his stewardship on earth to God (Romans 14:12 ) and he would come back to judge the world. The critical question is whether you are prepared for his second coming. He says in Revelation 16:15 (KJV), “Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.”
If you are not born again, you are walking naked and unless you quickly cover yourself by accepting Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, you will end up in that shameful state. I pray that you will not put yourself to shame in Jesus name. He says he will come suddenly and the only way to avoid going to hell is to be prepared anytime he comes. That is why he says in Luke 9:23 (KJV), “And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” This means everyday, you should examine yourself that you are living a life of obedience to him and thus ready to give account of your stewardship anytime. As we mark the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ today, it is a great opportunity to examine your life whether you are prepared for his second coming or not and if not, then you need to do so urgently because tomorrow may be too late. To be prepared, tell God you accept Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, ask Him to forgive your sins, promise Him you will not go back to those sins and you will live a life of obedience to his words going forward. After this prayer, ensure you read the bible regularly and you fellowship in a bible believing church.
Prayer Point: Almighty God, I accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour and I ask that you forgive me all the sins I have committed, give me the grace never to go back to sins but to live the rest of my life in obedience to you in Jesus name. Amen
Bro. Biodun Oyapero