Purify

Hello friends and Merry Christmas! I hope yours was a wonderful celebration of our Lord and Savior. Mine was....interesting. All I remember from Christmas morning was a flurry of arms, wrapping paper flying and presents being tossed across the room. My husband has the gift of giving. He loves to watch people open presents he's selected, but in our house Christmas morning comes and goes in a flash.

Today though, the family's still sleeping and I get my favorite gift... a quiet and peaceful home!

Now that the holidays are almost behind us, I think about the way we prepare for and celebrate the birth of Christ, His coming. The season is marked with much planning, activity and preparation. The question I want to ask is:  Are we preparing for his coming back? Are we prepared for the second coming and what will He find when He gets here?

I believe the preparation for this is event is severely lacking in the world today. When I study my Bible, I see a great concern by the authors of the various books about being ready for Christ's return. Check out these passages:

Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.  1 John 3:2-3

Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God. 2 Cor 7:1

These promises?  Our relationship with God:

Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.
2 Cor 6:17-18

Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. 2 Peter 3:11-12

I'll be continuing to post about this process, but as you begin to plan and prepare for 2012, don't forget this area. Jesus is coming back. Will he find us ready?