1 John 3:2,3 “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.” I’m going to focus on v.3. “Every Man that hath this hope purifieth himself.” What hope? The hope of Jesus coming again. Several verses come to mind. Revelation 1:3 “Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near.” When one reads Revelation, it scares a person straight. It’s like the show that brings the young delinquents into prison. They see the horror of their future and change their ways. Thinking of Jesus’ coming is exciting and scary. John says there’s a blessing for the one who reads and heads the message of Revelation. It reminds me of pastor Chuck and Greg Laurie. They frequently speak about the second coming. I have to admit that it makes me anxious. I’ll often change the channel when Greg is on. It’s the message of John. It will cause us to purify our lives. We may be involved in unbiblical behavior. Knowing that Jesus is coming soon will cause us to change. We may be not be sinning, but apathetic towards the things of God. The message that Jesus is coming causes us to show more interest. Jesus told a parable about some woman who had lamps. Oil was needed to keep the lamps burning. There was to be a wedding feast. They knew it was happening soon, just didn’t know the exact time. So, they were to be ready with their lamps full of oil. The anoincement came while they were sleeping, so the left for the celebration. Some weren’t prepared and asked to borrow some oil from their friends. However, there wasn’t enough to share. They went to the market to get more oil. By the time they showed up, the doors were locked and it was too late. This has a similar message. We are to be ready. Lord, help us to be ready. Help us to focus on You and keep a pure life, anticipating Your return.