Expectation
The Coming of the Kingdom of God
The Pharisees asked Jesus when the kingdom of God would appear (v. 20). Their question was legitimate but it was also tragic. Jesus had been ministering among them for three years and these men were still in spiritual darkness. They did not understand who Jesus was or wh …
God Isn’t Lining up With Expectations
Even though Habakkuk is deeply disturbed about the wicked conditions of God’s people and wants God to do something about it he is not ready for the way God is going to deal with it. He can’t believe that God is going to send the Babylonians like a pack of wolves to devour and punish them …
Live Expecting The Lord’s Return
What would you like to be doing when Christ returns (v. 14). That is how you should be living every day. While you are waiting, you should make certain that the Lord finds you pure, spotless, and living at peace†(v. 14). We should be living in eager expectation. Don’t for …
Prayer Answered
The story in this passage would be comical if it were not so true to life. So frequently the prayer life of God’s people consists of formal words and speech and a total lack of expectation. Great precautions had been taken to see that Peter did not escape. He was guarded by four squads of …
IllustrationPassing Out Apricots in an Army Chow Line
A young psychology student serving in the Army decided to test a theory. Drawing kitchen duty, he was given the job of passing out apricots at the end of the chow line. He asked the first few soldiers that came by, “You don’t want any apricots, do you?” Ninety per …
IllustrationOne Dish of Apricots or Two?
A young psychology student serving in the Army decided to test a theory …
IllustrationMapping New York City For Growth
A story is told about the city fathers of New York as they contemplated the future growth of the city. They laid out the streets and numbered them from the center outward. When they began, there were only six or seven streets. In their planning maps, they projected how large they …
IllustrationWe Need to be “Over-Expecters"!
An interesting cartoon shows a fourth-grade boy standing toe-to-toe and nose-to-nose with his teacher. Behind them is a blackboard covered with math problems the boy hasn’t finished. With rare perception the boy says, “I’m not an underachiever, you’re an o …