William Barclay once said, The...
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William Barclay once said, "The only way to prepare to meet god is to live daily with god." Paul's heartfelt prayer for the Thessalonians is that they might live in love and righteousness on a daily basis as they await the coming of Christ in glory.
There is an old Christmas story, often told to children, about a shoemaker who dreamed one night that Jesus was coming the next day to his humble shop. He rose early in the morning to make preparations for so great a Guest, and then he sat down to wait. His only visitor in the morning was an old man who shuffled up and asked to rest. The shoemaker could see that the man's shoes were worn through, so he gave him a new pair of shoes and sent the old man on his way.
He waited through the afternoon, but the only person to come to his tiny shop was an old lady with a heavy load of wood. She was weary, and out of compassion, the shoemaker gave her some of the food he had prepared for the Christ.
As night began to fall, there came to his shop a little boy who was lost. The shoemaker was distressed at having to leave his shop, but decided to take the boy to his home on the other side of town. Returning, he felt sure he had missed the coming of Jesus until a voice spoke softly to him: "Lift up your heart, for I kept my word. Three times I came to your friendly door; three times my shadow was on your floor. I was the beggar with bruised feet; I was the woman you gave to eat; I was the child on the homeless street."
There is an old Christmas story, often told to children, about a shoemaker who dreamed one night that Jesus was coming the next day to his humble shop. He rose early in the morning to make preparations for so great a Guest, and then he sat down to wait. His only visitor in the morning was an old man who shuffled up and asked to rest. The shoemaker could see that the man's shoes were worn through, so he gave him a new pair of shoes and sent the old man on his way.
He waited through the afternoon, but the only person to come to his tiny shop was an old lady with a heavy load of wood. She was weary, and out of compassion, the shoemaker gave her some of the food he had prepared for the Christ.
As night began to fall, there came to his shop a little boy who was lost. The shoemaker was distressed at having to leave his shop, but decided to take the boy to his home on the other side of town. Returning, he felt sure he had missed the coming of Jesus until a voice spoke softly to him: "Lift up your heart, for I kept my word. Three times I came to your friendly door; three times my shadow was on your floor. I was the beggar with bruised feet; I was the woman you gave to eat; I was the child on the homeless street."
