As a retired English teacher, I love alliteration! This morning I began thinking about the C’s that have come before and after Christmas. I really began with Christ, Christmas, and the Cross, then that grew to include the fact that He was the Creator, too. After the Cross, of course, came the age of the Church, and now we are expecting His soon Coming and the Consummation of all things!
Many years ago, I remember telling my husband in my kitchen that I would love to teach young people the Big Picture of the Bible, meaning the story of God and man, beginning from Genesis and going on through the Bible, never dreaming that I would be given that opportunity years later when we moved to Decatur from the Coast. I taught Biblical History at the Newton County High School for nine years, knowing that God was giving me one of the desires of my heart.
Getting caught up in seeing C’s everywhere the last few days, I realized I could have taught that Big Story using those C’s and remembered a poster I had bought at the Ark Encounter in Kentucky a couple years ago. That poster entitled “Seven C’s of History” illustrated the ages of “Creation, Corruption, Catastrophe, Confusion, Christ, Cross, and Consummation.”
Getting back to Christmas, I am a firm believer that Christians should really be thankful for and fight to preserve the holiday called Christmas. It is the season of the year when the world is reminded of our Saviour Jesus Christ, the God-man who came as a Gift from His Father to “take away the sins of the world.” That Gift is available to anyone who will simply do what His Word says to do in Romans 10:9,10, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
Colossians 1:16, 17 verifies that Jesus is the Creator: “For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him: And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist.” and verses 18 and 19 go on to prove His esteemed position in the Church: “And He is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things He might have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in Him should all fullness dwell;”
Continuing with that same passage, in verses 20-23, we see the importance of Christ’s crucifixion on the Cross: “And, having made peace through the blood of His cross, by Him to reconcile all things unto Himself; by Him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath He reconciled In the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in His sight: If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel…”
I rarely copy this much scripture in this column, but this just lays it all out—Jesus Christ is the Creator, He is the Head of the Church body, and He is the Conqueror who is Victor over death, hell, and the grave.
This Compassionate Saviour sent the “Spirit of Christ” to be our Counselor and Comforter during all the Church age. Amidst all the chaos and crises of the perilous times in which we live, we can turn to Him, cast all our cares upon Him for He cares for us, and commit our very bodies and souls and spirits into His loving custody. During the years of our lives, even in the midst of troubles and cares, we can count on the fact that Jesus cares and walks with us through these difficult events, as His very Presence gives us peace that passes all understanding and joy which fills our souls with the promise of eternity with Him.
As I have said many times before, we must “love His appearing.” In other words, we must believe and look forward to the fact that the Bible—having already recorded many prophecies of Christ’s first coming and their fulfillment—has a great many more prophecies that are yet to be fulfilled concerning His Second Coming. Some of these have come to pass in my own lifetime, beginning with the establishment of the nation of Israel on May 14, 1948, followed by the 1967 Six-Day War, in which Jerusalem fell into Jewish hands for the first time in over 2000 years. Recent events in the world are being seen by many to indicate a beginning of sorrows, or birth pangs, spoken of by Christ in Matthew 24:8.
I pray that soon entire Congregations of the people of God will become excited about the soon Coming of Christ in the Clouds as the angels promised would happen in Acts 1:9-11. Speaking of those angels, looking to the time of the Consummation when Christ will become wedded to His Bride, true Christian believers will become immortal sons of God, even called upon to “judge angels.” May God grant that we would be faithful followers who will attain to that position.
In the meantime, we can use devices like alliteration to learn more about God’s plan for man; but the most important motivation is just simple spiritual desire to learn more about who we are in Christ and what He has done for us and the world He loves so much! Let me conclude with a wonderful promise you can hang your faith upon: God says in Proverbs 8:12, “I love those who love Me, and those who seek Me diligently find Me.”
Live for Jesus! He’s coming soon! You may contact me at lagnesrussell@gmail.com or 601-635-3282.
