What are YOU looking for?

 

I am a baseball fan and I am a YANKEE fan. Usually when I share that I am a Yankee fan I get a hearty BOOOOO! The Yanks are either hated or loved. MY YANKEES are in a championship drought. They lost the World Series last year, but at least they were there. They have had a very up and down year this year and are not a powerhouse like we were hoping. Right now we are in a playoff battle with our RIVALS the Red Sox in a best of three series. The final game is tonight. I am hoping for a win, but really I am not expecting one. 

I was thinking about my EXPECTATIONS and reading Isaiah 21 this morning. What are my expectations for the day? What are my expectations as the year winds down? What are my expectations for the future? I am always on the lookout for signs hinting at the future. I am looking for signs that will predict DOOM and I look for signs that will forecast CLEAR SKIES. We are WATCHING for signs both good and bad!

"Meanwhile, the Lord said to me, ' Put a watchman on the city wall. Let him shout out what he sees. He should look for chariots drawn by pairs of horses, and for riders on donkeys and camels. Let the watchman be fully alert.' Then the watchman called out, 'Day after day I have stood on the watchtower, my lord. Night after night I have remained at my post. Now at last -- look! Her comes a man in a chariot with a pair of horses!' Then the watchman said, 'Babylon is fallen, fallen! All the idols of Babylon lie broken on the ground!'" (Isaiah 21:6-9, NLT)

THE WATCHMAN is there for one main reason. The city wants to know as soon as possible if they are being attacked. That is the expectation. That is the reason to be vigilant. Yes, I want to know disaster is on the horizon. I want to be ready for the siege. Often my EXPECTATIONS are for the NEGATIVE events to come, just like my gloom and doom forecast for the Yankees. But, once in a while, the watchman will be the first to get GOOD NEWS. Babylon is fallen was GREAT NEWS and the joy would have been tremendous. 

As Christians we often are looking for signs of the future. We see a lot of evil that is slowly creeping into our city. The watchman is set to catch problems for our families, our friends, our church, and our community. Being vigilant is good and necessary. But don't forget JESUS IS COMING SOON. For all the bad that is approaching, we are assured of one WONDERFUL EVENT TO COME. Jesus will return. We need to be focused on that. We need to gather all we can inside the gates of HIS KINGDOM so that when JESUS RETURNS they will be safe within his arms. I praise God for his RETURN. All the SIGNS are there and we wait in HOPEFUL EXPECTATION. JESUS IS COMING BACK! 

Heavenly Father, I praise you and your marvelous plan to return to rescue us from the evil that is creeping in on all sides. Lord we stand on the watchtower not in fear of being overtaken, we stand on the watchtower anxiously awaiting your return. Lord, with the impending joy of your NEW KINGDOM on Earth, fill us with boldness to share your gospel message with the world around us. Help us to bring people into the protection of your great wall. Help us to spread the news that YOU ARE RETURNING SOON. PRAISE GOD! AMEN!

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"because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved." (Romans 10:9-10, ESV)

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