The Celebration of Advent: The “Birth of Jesus Christ, Our Saviour!

“Advent” means “Coming” ─ Our Redeemer!  It is the period of time beginning four Sundays before Christmas.  It begins with the sounding of the Shofar and it is blown each Sunday during Advent. It sounds the alarm as it calls for attention to “expect” the return of the Lord at any time! It also sounds for battle,. Short sounds rally the troups for war. We are in a deadly warfare as we await our Lord’s Return!

  

Advent is observed by Christians, that is, followers of Christ. It is a season of remembrance and with it comes the Promise that there is yet another “Coming” ─ it is called “Rapture!”

  

The Promise of His Coming Birth was foretold many years before He was born. It is seen in the Prophecy by Isaiah. {7:14} “Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a Sign; Behold, a Virgin shall conceive, and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.”  The Prophecy of His Coming, continues as the Spirit of Lord moves through Isaiah: {9:6} “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” As sure as the Prophecy of Jesus Birth has come to pass, we wait in Hope for His Coming again in Rapture. This is yet another Promise from our Lord in 1 Thess. 4:16-17: “For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the Trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be Caught Up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”HALLELUJAH!

As our Jewish brethren wait for the Messiah, so we wait for Him also. We have read in Acts 1:11 “…This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.”

The colors of Advent this year are Purple for His royalty, and Pink for the Joy Jesus brought us, that of Eternal Salvation. The song of Advent is as always the cry for His Return!  “O Come, O Come Emmanuel!”

It is good to have an Advent wreath in your home and as you sit down to the evening mean, light the candles of Advent and give thanks for His Coming as the Christ Child in the manager so long ago, and Thank Him for the Hope of His Return in Rapture to catch away His saints.  There are many Voices of Advent, may the Lord hear our voice as We Cry out, “Even so, Come Lord Jesus!” May we “set our affection on things above, not on things on the earth.”  We wait in preparation to be His Raptured Bride!  Remember to declare “Merry Christmas!”