December 02, 2021
Greetings and blessings to all of you. This Sunday marks the beginning of Advent. It is the season historically set aside by the Church to help believers prepare to receive the fullness of Jesus coming. By Jesus ‘coming’ Advent refers both to Jesus Incarnation and His return as the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. During this time my prayer is that we reflect on the God of the Scriptures who is a holy God. Hopefully, we see a big God instead of a [small god] who we may think his sole concern is to make us feel good and to be happy (based only on our circumstances). That will make an ineffectual and sterile church with no power. During this Advent season let us abandon our substitute gods and return to the God of the Bible the God who is real and far more powerful, loving and realistic. During this time and continuously we should see the nature of God. He came to seek and save sinners. History says that it was God who sought the fallen couple in the Garden. In Ezek.34:16 God says, “I will seek the lost, bring back the scattered, bind up the broken and strengthen the sick.” The Almighty was portrayed as a Savior throughout the OT so it is appropriate that when Christ entered the world of human beings as God in human flesh, He was known first of all as a Savior. In John 1: 14 the Word says, “ so the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory the glory of the Fathers one and only Son.” Advent is the season that will remind us of God’s sovereignty and for us to appreciate the culmination of His plan and purpose. Our finite minds have difficulty understanding how God became man. We have many questions. How could both the Father and Son be the Creator? How can Jesus be born of a Virgin? In John 14:9 “He who has seen me has seen the Father” exactly what did Jesus mean by this? Since Christmas is a time of celebration, we need to begin remembering the source of this special Day. The time of Advent will help us answer these questions; it will remind us that humanity is lost, fallen and separated from God and our only hope of forgiveness was for someone completely innocent to take our place. Advent is a time to reflect, remember and then respond accordingly.
With the Love of Christ
First Lady Vivian C. Currie
Pastor ALC