GWEA Monthly Messages
REJOICE AND BE GLAD!
REVEREND GORDON WILLIAMS, JANUARY 2013
Happy New Year! Here we are at the beginning of New Year 2013 AD. Before Jesus came and did His ministry, there were many "new years” because every religion, occult and countries had their own calendars. As the Christian Church grew around the world, it replaced all of the New Year celebrations and religious holidays & feasts with Christian Holy Days. Examples are Christmas which replaced 3 Roman Pagan religious celebrations and Halloween (Holy Evening) which replaced a Celtic new year.
The Church also introduced a new calendar which counted the years from before the birth of Jesus and after the birth of Jesus. It is now B.C. before the Birth of Christ and A.D. (Anno Domini) the Year of our Lord. Our Calendar today has placed and marked Jesus Christ’s Ministry as the center of history. He is Saviour and Lord of the world from creation (Gen. 1:1-2; Jn. 1:1-3) to the end of the world (Matt. 24: 6; 1 Cor. 13: 10; 15:25) when Jesus will return and the saved will join Him in the New Jerusalem or the unsaved will join the devil in the lake of fire called hell (Rev. 20-21).
When Paul and Silas and Jason were arrested and taken to trial, they were accused, "These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also.....saying there is another king, Jesus” (Acts 17: 6-7). Yes, and that is what we do! Or, at least we are supposed to do. Each New Year is a calendar reminder that we say, "Yes, there is another King and His Name is Jesus!”
We are "sent people” who know that Jesus is supposed to turn everybody’s world upside down which really means "right side up”. This is done when we witness to people and introduce them to Jesus as their Savior and Lord so they can have their worlds turned upside down with the Baptism of the Holy Spirit with the "Signs Following” (Mk. 16:17-20) which confirm that our own worlds have been turned upside right making Jesus the center of our calendars every day.
We have been commissioned by Jesus to "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation” (Mk. 16:15) and be His "witnesses” (Acts 1:8). We are not supposed to make "New Year’s Resolutions” or promises or oaths. God doesn’t like us to make promises we will not keep (Ecc. 5: 4-7). He wants us to keep His New Covenant which offers, salvation, the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, healing, deliverance and meeting all people’s needs (Philip. 4:19). Pray and ask the Holy Spirit to show you how to turn other people’s worlds upside down.
And, if like Paul, Barnabas and Jason, you get arrested, then you will know what Jesus meant when He said, "Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so men persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matt. 5: 11-12). Everytime we say, "Happy New Year!’ we are reminding people that the whole year and the whole world belongs to Jesus.
Happy New Year 2013!
Yours in Jesus,
Rev. Gordon Williams
© GWEA, 2013