The coming of the Lord is near ...

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Dear brothers and sisters, be patient as you wait for the Lord’s return. Consider the farmers who patiently wait for the rains in the fall and in the spring. They eagerly look for the valuable harvest to ripen. You, too, must be patient. Take courage, for the coming of the Lord is near. -James 5:7-8 NLT

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For thousands of years Christians have believed that Jesus would return in their lifetimes. Years ago, as the last millennium drew to a close, many people expected his arrival in the skies. Personally, I took two semesters of Bible College classes on the book of Revelation - don't ask me about my old theories concerning the rapture and other end time events. These days I honestly do not think about the end of the world as we know it or the coming new earth.

When I ponder what the Lord's return means to me, I usually think of what it will be like when He comes in the clouds for me on the day when I pass from this world to the next. I once had a vision of that day when my feet left the earth and I passed through the clouds. I am not sure how accurate that image was but I know that it gave me so much hope - and the Blessed Hope is what many of us associate with the day that we will see God ... and how blessed that day will be.

Maranatha! Come Lord Jesus to take us home to be with you. Come Holy Spirit to plant a seed of patience in us today.

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