Sunday, December 03, 2006

The Christian Year

As I mentioned last week in the exhortation, one of our goals in this church is that we learn to think like Christians. Today is the first Sunday of Advent. This is the beginning of the Christian calendar. We have too long been formed by the calendar of those who do not see Christ as the centerpiece of history, the point from which all times should be counted. But He is and though the world try to erase the memory of Christ in the Common Era, C. E., they cannot do so.

After all, in every nation on Earth, the calendar is counted reckoning the years according to our God’s Sovereign rule in Christ Jesus, the Lord. Some nations try to count the year according to their prophets but all the world knows the truth. And even these pagan and Islamic countries are made to trade and meet, the world over in the A.D. It is the year, 2006. More precisely it is A.D., Anno Domini, the Year of the Lord, 2006. Jesus has been reigning these 2006 years, glory be to God. And it will remain A.D., world without end. How blessed we are to begin counting another year of Jesus’ reign.

God has made great promises to us and He is not slow in delivering them. However, some cannot bide the Lord’s timing. They are impatient and do not believe and trust that the Lord will do that which He said that He would do. They mistake His delay for lack of concern, or for a failure on His part. But we are not to be like this. It is A.D, 2006. Another year of Jesus’ reign, A.D, 2007, will bring another year of the establishment of His kingdom. Can we not see what He has done in the world? Can we not anticipate what He will do as He continues to reign?

Let us put aside all unbelief. Let us believe the heralds of God who have made His promises known. Let us confess our lack of faith and trust in His power to do so.

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