Then Jesus Came #21

 Revelation 1:4 John to the seven churches that are in Asia:
Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth.
To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood 6 and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. 7 Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.

As mentioned yesterday, this is the part of Advent we often never get around to: turning from the past to look toward the future. Christ is coming again.  He is the One who was back there in Bethlehem (and beyond), has risen and now sits at the Father's right hand, and is coming again to fully establish His eternal kingdom.  As always, what God has done and is going to do is rooted in His character: He is loving and holy - intent on freeing us from our sins and making us a people for Himself.  Christ is coming for all to see. As with His first Advent, many will not want to see Him nor believe in Him, but those of us who do will rejoice.  Today, as we wait, may we experience His grace and peace to the full.