Living In Expectation

Today my husband and I attended a different church, (we are in search for a different church since we recently left a church for previously-mentioned reasons) and I was really blessed by the pastor's message. Being the first Sunday of Advent, his message was based on Simeon's expectation that, before he died, he would see the Messiah.

"Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: "Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel." (Luke 2:25-32)

The pastor went through many passages of scripture that prophesied Christ's birth and also His second coming. He said that we need to also live in expectation that Jesus is coming again. This is exciting! And we need to be ready for when He comes by making sure we are following Him and living according to what the Bible says. At the end of the message, an elderly man went to the front to lead us in a closing hymn and said that he could be wrong, but he believes that some of those in the congregation, including himself, may very well witness Jesus's second coming because of the signs that we are living in the end days. Then we sang the hymn Thou Didst Leave Thy Throne. Here are the last few lines from this song that blessed me this morning:

"When the heavens shall ring, and the angels sing
At Thy coming to victory,
Let Thy voice call me home, saying, "Yet there is room,
There is room at My side for thee!"

And my heart shall rejoice, Lord Jesus!
When Thou comest and callest for me;
And my heart shall rejoice, Lord Jesus!
When Thou comest and callest for me."