Is this the year?

Waiting for our Savior...

As we start another year and I look around at all of the events that are unfolding on the earth, I can’t help but continually ask myself, “Is this the year that Jesus returns?”

I don’t know the answer to that question. Only the Father knows, but I know He told us to watch and be ready.

In yesterday’s message, I was preaching from Ephesians 2, and teaching about the relationship between Jews and Gentiles, and the blessing of being ‘grafted in’ to the family of God.

Later, I talked about that ‘twinkling of an eye’ that happens so quickly and challenged the people to be watching and waiting for the second coming to happen at any moment.

1 Corinthians 15:52
In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

It’s a challenge for all of us. Are we ready today for Him to come? I’m trying to get my mind, body, and focus more centered on Him and His return.

Prayer Requests:

• Speaking of my body, thanks for the continued prayers for my throat procedures. We head back down to Brisbane tomorrow for another dilation. It started tearing at 15mm last time, so please pray that they don’t overdo it in their attempts and create more problems again.

• School starts back up next week. Pray for the new year of Religious Education classes, that students and teachers will have open hearts to God’s Word. Especially pray about one school in particular that had a new principal come in halfway through last year. He has been doing what he can to discourage RE attendance.

• Pray for our dear friend, Jo Goulding. She turns 98 next month and is longing to go on to be with the Lord. Her health really started to decline a few months ago, and we thought she’d leave us then, but the Lord is keeping her here for a bit longer. We are asking the Lord to let her go without prolonged pain and suffering.

• We’ve been giving out a lot more tracts in recent months, since we received a new shipment, personalized with our church name and contact details. Please ask the Lord to help us get them in the hands of those who will benefit and be drawn to Him.

Praise & Thanksgiving:

• Sincere thanks to each of you who sent special money gifts for Christmas and to help with our expenses for these medical trips. I can’t tell you what a blessing and help they have been to us! I won’t mention you by name here (so you can get all the praise and blessings from God Himself), but you know who you are. Angie sent out personal thank-you notes. She’s hoping she didn’t miss anyone.

• We praise God for giving us friends who love and pray for us. Those who see a need and pray or give to help meet that need are priceless treasures. Thank you!

• I thank God for my wife who does all she can to meet my needs and has helped me to serve God in Australia for the last 27 years. I’m blessed!

We wish you all a very Happy New Year and pray that God blesses you and uses you greatly in 2024 for His glory. Maybe this will be the year He comes!

Your fellow servants,
~Don and Angie