Signs and Stories - Rev Dr Lynette Sathiasingam

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿. 𝗪𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆. 𝗪𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘀 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗲𝗼𝘂𝘀.

Advent is the promised second coming of Jesus Christ. Are we ready for his second coming? How are we ready and remain ready at all times?

Advent is time recognizing the sign of God. John the Baptist is the forerunner as he came in the spirit of Elijah, fulfilling prophecy to prepare the way for the Lord.

He was sent by God to bear witness for Jesus Christ. He pointed Jesus as the One greater than himself, confirming Jesus’s identity through divine revelation. John’s cry in wilderness was a call for repentance, urging people to turn from sin and baptized people in the Jordon River as a sign of confession and commitment to a new way of life.

Before the kingdom of heaven come near, there is a need for repentance because the one who is coming is righteous. Repentance is not just sorrow in heart – it is a change of mind and direction to live differently. It does not describe what must be done before coming to God but what coming to God is like.

Unless sin, selfishness and old way is left behind, the call of repentance is important and must not be neglected.

Today, salvation comes through the personal confession of Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour. Baptism becomes the public declaration of the decision to follow Jesus and no turning back. Yet repentance and baptism are not the end. We are called to bear fruits of repentance by the way we lived and share what God had done in our lives, thus impacting others.

So the question we ask ourselves: Are we ready for His coming? Are we going to tell our stories, to bear witness and bring one person to Jesus?