At Christmas time we remember the first advent of Christ, born as a baby—our Lord and Savior come to save us. We also look forward to his promised second advent—ushering in the new heavens and the new earth. What then are we to be doing during this time of waiting for Christ’s return?

In the concluding verses of 2 Peter, we find helpful words about the delayed return of Christ. In verse 15-16a Peter writes,

And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, 16 as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters.

Did you notice the phrase, and count the patience of our Lord as salvation, in the verse above? The time we are spending waiting for the Lord’s return is for the salvation of those who have yet to repent and trust in Him. Paul writes in Romans 2:4,

Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?

There is coming a day where we will be held accountable for the way we have lived. Paul points out that until that day, God’s patience and forbearance and kindness are meant to lead us to repentance.

These are precious days that God is giving the people of this world to repent and trust in Christ. And as the sons and daughters of God, who have been commissioned to proclaim the gospel to the world, we have the privilege of pointing people to Christ as we await the return of Christ. We have the thrill of seeing God bring salvation to the lost!

This privilege is also exercised in our homes. Parents, we have the joy of sharing Christ with our children and this Christmas season we want to aid you in making Christmas more Christ-centered.

In efforts of partnering with you in proclaiming Christ in your home, we will have copies of a family devotional book, Prepare Him Room: Celebrating the Birth of Jesus, available on Sunday, December 2 at the Children’s Check-in desk for you to pick up and use this year.

Here is an endorsement by Donald S. Whitney about this resource.

“If you want to be purposeful about making this December more Christ-centered for your children, then look carefully at this little book. Marty Machowski provides the ideas, the plans, and the details: all you have to do is follow his lead. He will help your family have a more gospel-filled Christmas season.”

As we await the return of Christ, let us be diligent in proclaiming the good news in our homes and the community and witness God’s great saving power as He grants salvation to many!

 

As the Legacy Children’s ministry, we desire to partner with you in this endeavor. If you do not have a regular time in family devotions or you have questions about how to best use this book, please contact Pastor Eric. He would be glad to help you and serve you in impacting the next generation with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.