A few years ago, while hosting a tour of 33 people on a “Footsteps of Paul” journey, I found myself in ancient Philippi. In 50 A.D., the apostle Paul was preparing to go east into Asia with the Gospel, the “Good News” of Jesus Christ. But the Holy Spirit told him, “Go west young man! Go west!” So, trying his best to follow the leading of God, the mission-minded apostle traveled westward to Macedonia, where Philippi is located.
But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, “You are my God.” My times are in your hands…” (Psalm 31:14-15a)
And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years.” (Genesis 1:14)
R.G. Lee eloquently said, “Jesus was born in the saddest hour of history. Born when the scepter of power was frozen by the tyranny of impeached civilizations. When religion was clasping hands with idolatry. Born when the world crisis had come upon the Jewish race as they slept in robes of beautiful Jewish prophecy.” But Christ’s humble, lowly birth in that ancient land has made Bethlehem more famous than a thousand New Yorks. At the very beginning of this New Year, I want to say that the birthday of Jesus splits time in two around His cradle. This Jesus, of whom calendars, clocks or historians took note, has bent the dateline of all the nations around His lowly manger. This Jesus became the light and the sign that today marks days and years.
Others have tried to do what Jesus did. The Greeks thought they could date time from the founding of their Olympic games. The Romans tried to date time from the founding of their imperial city. Justinian tried to mark the beginning of time from certain tax levies. La Place, from the conjunction of certain planets. The French were sure they could date it from their revolutions. But they all failed. What the Jews, Greeks, Romans, and French could not do, Jesus did. He did it without a vote or command; He did it without some legislative edict. This timeless Christ had Christianized the calendars of the world.
No one in this world writes a letter, or signs a deed, or reads a newspaper, or turns on a computer without that birthday of Christ on the top of the page. When we write or say January 1, 2008, it means that this is 2008 A.D., or anno Domini, literally, “the year of our Lord.” Everything prior to 2008 years ago is deemed B.C. literally before Christ.
Do you feel compelled to get to know or learn more about this Man whose birth, life, crucifixion, death and resurrection forever changed time as we know it? Let me tell you, friends, Jesus not only changed the world, He changed the lives and hearts of the multitudes who met Him—and He still does to this day! Happy New Year to you in the name of Jesus!
Based on an excerpt from the book, Romancing Royalty: 365 Devotions to Draw You Closer to King Jesus, by Pastor Dudley C. Rutherford.
It is a new year and just about everyone has a new year’s resolution. What is yours? The typical resolutions involve losing weight, finding a new job, or generally improving your quality of life. Our resolve to commit to these resolutions, however, usually begins to dissolve within a few months. For some, the stress of holiday debts, income taxes, going back to school, and other worries during the first quarter of the year slow us down before we can really pick up steam. So how do we move past the demands of the world and succeed in maintaining the priorities in our lives? Taking a lesson learned from a Jewish man named Nehemiah who did just that provides hope for change in the New Year.
In the middle of the dry heat that is so typical in our valley, it is hard to imagine ourselves in a storm—one with unrelenting rain, thunderous crashes, violent wind, and no end in sight. But perhaps this scenario is all too real for you, as it may describe your current emotional, spiritual, or physical state. Financial hardships, relationship troubles, and health problems can cause rifts in our lives, if not turn them upside down altogether. Whatever your circumstance in life, Jesus has the power to calm your storms.
Christmas is always one of my favorite times of the year. Shopping centers and department stores are decked with twinkling white lights and green garlands, and carols play merrily throughout the aisles. Best of all, most of us make the extra effort to extend additional benevolence to others in the spirit of Christmas. Whether it is through kind words in a greeting card, thoughtful gifts, or extra courteousness in our dealings with strangers, there is an air of kind consideration we wish would last the whole year round.
The popular game show of a similar title has caught America’s attention, as viewers everywhere strive to remember the educational facts and lessons they were taught back in the classroom. We are caught off guard or surprised by the theories, laws of science, formulas, historical facts, or grammatical rules that we have forgotten from long ago, but that fifth graders know from recent lessons. My youngest daughter, Kerri, has herself just graduated from the fifth grade and can often rattle off facts, formulas, and grammar rules that I have long since forgotten. We dismiss these omissions from our memories with amusement, reasoning that we do not often use these facts or information in our everyday lives.
